Overview

The external part of the female reproductive organs is called the vulva, which means covering. Located between the legs, the vulva covers the opening to the vagina and other reproductive organs inside the body.

The fleshy area located just above the top of the vaginal opening is called the mons pubis. Two pairs of skin flaps called the labia (which mean lips) surround the vaginal opening. The clitoris, a small sensory organ, is located toward the front of the vulva where the folds of the labia join. Between the labia are openings to the urethra (the canal that carries pee from the bladder to the outside of the body) and vagina. When girls become sexually mature, the outer labia and the mons pubis are covered by pubic hair.

A female's internal reproductive organs are the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

The vagina is a muscular, hollow tube that extends from the vaginal opening to the uterus. Because it has muscular walls, the vagina can expand and contract. This ability to become wider or narrower allows the vagina to accommodate something as slim as a tampon and as wide as a baby. The vagina's muscular walls are lined with mucous membranes, which keep it protected and moist.

1. The vagina serves three purposes:
2. It's where the penis is inserted during sexual intercourse.
3. It's the pathway (the birth canal) through which a baby leaves a woman's body during childbirth.
4. It's the route through which menstrual blood leaves the body during periods.

Female Reproductive System Work

The female reproductive system enables a woman to:

• produce eggs (ova)
• have sexual intercourse
• protect and nourish a fertilized egg until it is fully developed
• give birth

Good sexual and reproductive health is important for women’s general health and wellbeing. It is central to their ability to make choices and decisions about their lives, including when, or whether, considering having children.

Sexual and reproductive health is not only about physical wellbeing – it includes the right to healthy and respectful relationships, health services that are inclusive, safe and appropriate, access to accurate information, effective and affordable methods of contraception and access to timely support and services in relation to unplanned pregnancy.

Different life stages are associated with specific women’s sexual and reproductive health issues, including menstruation, fertility, cervical screening, contraception, pregnancy, sexually transmissible infections, chronic health problems (such as endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome) and menopause.

Safe sex practices are important for the sexual and reproductive health of sexually active women of all ages. Access to accurate, impartial and up-to-date sexual and reproductive health information, and services such as human papilloma virus vaccination, cervical screening tests and screening for sexually transmissible infections, is also essential.

Having access to sexual and reproductive health services, quality information about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and physical and mental health services can all help women achieve optimal health and wellbeing.

Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine is an interdisciplinary journal that explores clinical, medical, social and economic aspects of female reproductive health and medication worldwide.

Authors can Submit manuscript as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at https://www.imedpub.com/submissions/womens-health-reproductive-medicine.html

Media Contact
John Kimberly
Associate Managing Editor
Journal of Women’s Health and Reproductive Medicine
Email: womenshealth@emedscholar.comwomenshealth@emedscholar.com