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Labium (plural labia) is a Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
-derived term meaning "Lip
Lip

Lips are a visible body part at the mouth of humans and many animals. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake, as an erogenous organ used in kissing and other acts of intimacy, as a tactile sensory organ, and in the articulation of speech....
". Labium and its derivatives (including labial, labrum
Labrum

Labrum can refer to:* In architecture, the large vessel of a warm bath in the Ancient Rome thermae. These were cut out of great blocks of marble and granite, and have generally an overhanging lip....
) are used to describe any lip-like structure, but in the English language, labium often specifically refers to parts of the vulva
Vulva

The vulva refers to the external sex organ of the female. In colloquial speech, the term vagina is often used to refer to the female genitals generally, although, strictly speaking, the vagina is a specific internal structure, whereas the vulva is the whole exterior genitalia....
.

labia majora
Labia majora

The labia majora are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds which extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum and form the lateral boundaries of the cleft of venus, which contains the labia minora, interlabial sulci, clitoral hood, clitoral glans, frenulum clitoridis, the Hart's Line, and the vulval vestibule, which...
 are lip-like structures comprised mostly of skin and adipose tissue
Adipose tissue

In histology, adipose tissue or fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts. Its main role is to store energy in the form of fat, although it also cushions and Thermal insulation the body....
, which extend on either side of the vulva
Vulva

The vulva refers to the external sex organ of the female. In colloquial speech, the term vagina is often used to refer to the female genitals generally, although, strictly speaking, the vagina is a specific internal structure, whereas the vulva is the whole exterior genitalia....
 to form the cleft of venus
Cleft of venus

The cleft of venus is the furrow at the base of the mons veneris where it divides to form the labia majora. In some female humans, the clitoral hood and labia minora protrude through the cleft of venus, in others they do not....
 through the middle.






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Encyclopedia


Labium (plural labia) is a Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
-derived term meaning "Lip
Lip

Lips are a visible body part at the mouth of humans and many animals. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake, as an erogenous organ used in kissing and other acts of intimacy, as a tactile sensory organ, and in the articulation of speech....
". Labium and its derivatives (including labial, labrum
Labrum

Labrum can refer to:* In architecture, the large vessel of a warm bath in the Ancient Rome thermae. These were cut out of great blocks of marble and granite, and have generally an overhanging lip....
) are used to describe any lip-like structure, but in the English language, labium often specifically refers to parts of the vulva
Vulva

The vulva refers to the external sex organ of the female. In colloquial speech, the term vagina is often used to refer to the female genitals generally, although, strictly speaking, the vagina is a specific internal structure, whereas the vulva is the whole exterior genitalia....
.

Anatomy and medical

The labia majora
Labia majora

The labia majora are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds which extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum and form the lateral boundaries of the cleft of venus, which contains the labia minora, interlabial sulci, clitoral hood, clitoral glans, frenulum clitoridis, the Hart's Line, and the vulval vestibule, which...
 are lip-like structures comprised mostly of skin and adipose tissue
Adipose tissue

In histology, adipose tissue or fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts. Its main role is to store energy in the form of fat, although it also cushions and Thermal insulation the body....
, which extend on either side of the vulva
Vulva

The vulva refers to the external sex organ of the female. In colloquial speech, the term vagina is often used to refer to the female genitals generally, although, strictly speaking, the vagina is a specific internal structure, whereas the vulva is the whole exterior genitalia....
 to form the cleft of venus
Cleft of venus

The cleft of venus is the furrow at the base of the mons veneris where it divides to form the labia majora. In some female humans, the clitoral hood and labia minora protrude through the cleft of venus, in others they do not....
 through the middle. After puberty
Puberty

Puberty refers to the process of physical changes by which a child's body becomes an adult body capable of reproduction. Puberty is initiated by hormone signals from the brain to the gonads ....
, it is typically covered with pubic hair
Pubic hair

Although fine Vellus is present in the area in childhood, the term pubic hair is generally restricted to the heavier, longer and coarser hair that develops with puberty as an effect of rising levels of androgens....
, which some individuals choose to remove by shaving, waxing, or laser methods. When standing or with the legs together, they usually entirely or partially cover the other parts of the vulva
Vulva

The vulva refers to the external sex organ of the female. In colloquial speech, the term vagina is often used to refer to the female genitals generally, although, strictly speaking, the vagina is a specific internal structure, whereas the vulva is the whole exterior genitalia....
. Protection is the main function.

The labia minora
Labia minora

The labia minora or nymphae are two Longitudinal#Anatomy cutaneous folds on the human vulva. They are situated between the labia majora, and extend from the clitoris obliquely downward, laterally, and backward on either side of the vulval vestibule, ending between bottom of the vulval vestibule and the labia majora....
 (obsolete: nymphae) are two soft folds of skin between the labia majora and to either side of the opening of the vagina
Vagina

The vagina is a fibromuscular cylinder tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles....
. The clitoris
Clitoris

The clitoris is a sex organ that is present only in female mammals. In humans, the visible button-like portion is located near the anterior junction of the labia minora, above the opening of the urethra and vagina....
 is anterior to the vulva where the labia minora meet superiorly. The visible tip of the clitoris, the clitoral glans
Clitoral glans

The clitoral glans is an external portion of the clitoris....
, is entirely or partially covered by a "hood" of tissue (the clitoral hood
Clitoral hood

In female human anatomy, the clitoral hood, , is a fold of skin that surrounds and protects the clitoral glans. It develops as part of the labia minora and is homology with the foreskin in male genitals....
).

The coloration, size and general appearance of the labia can vary extensively from woman to woman. In some women the labia minora are almost non-existent, and in others they can be fleshy and protuberant. Usually, but not always, they are symmetrical. Some differences are purely personal, while others may be genetically linked; a striking example of the latter is the elongated labia minora
Elongated labia

Elongated labia is an apparently genetic feature of certain Khoisan groups, whose females develop relatively elongated labia minora, hanging up to four inches outside their vulva when they are in an upright position....
 of the Khoisan peoples, whose "khoikhoi aprons" can hang down up to four inches past their labia majora when they are standing.

During sexual arousal
Sexual arousal

Sexual arousal is the the arousal of sexual desires in preparation for sexual behavior....
, the labia minora become engorged with blood
Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
, typically swelling slightly and darkening or reddening in color.

Labiaplasty
Labiaplasty

Labiaplasty is plastic surgery of the labia majora and/or the labia minora, which are the external folds of skin surrounding the structures of the vulva....
 is a controversial plastic surgery
Plastic surgery

Plastic surgery is a medical :Category:Surgical specialties concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. While famous for aesthetic surgery, plastic surgery also includes a variety of fields such as craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, burn surgery, microsurgery, and reconstructive surgery....
 procedure that involves the creation or reshaping of the labia.

Social and cultural considerations

In many cultures and locations all over the world, the labia, as part of the genitalia, are considered private
Privacy

Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information about themselves and thereby reveal themselves selectively....
, or intimate, parts
Intimate part

An intimate, personal or private part is a place on the human body which it is usually customary to keep covered with clothing in public areas, as a matter of decency....
, whose exposure (especially in public
Public space

A public space refers to an area or place that is open and accessible to all citizens, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socioeconomics....
) is governed by fairly strict socio-cultural mores
Mores

Mores are norm or convention s. Mores derive from the established practices of a society rather than its written laws. They consist of shared understandings about the kinds of behaviour likely to evoke approval, disapproval, toleration or sanction, within particular contexts....
. In many cases, public exposure
Indecent exposure

Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure by a person of a portion or portions of his or her own body under circumstances where such an exposure is likely to be seen as contrary to the local commonly accepted standards of decency , and may in fact be a violation of law....
 is limited, and often prohibited, by law
Illegal

Illegal, or unlawful, is used to describe something that is prohibited or not authorized by law or, more generally, by rules specific to a particular situation ....
.

The clinical procedure of labiaplasty
Labiaplasty

Labiaplasty is plastic surgery of the labia majora and/or the labia minora, which are the external folds of skin surrounding the structures of the vulva....
 alters the appearance of the labia, for cosmetic
Plastic surgery

Plastic surgery is a medical :Category:Surgical specialties concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. While famous for aesthetic surgery, plastic surgery also includes a variety of fields such as craniofacial surgery, hand surgery, burn surgery, microsurgery, and reconstructive surgery....
 or medical
Surgery

Surgery is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, to help improve bodily function or appearance, or sometimes for some other reason....
 reasons.

In some cultures, any of several areas of the female genitals are surgically altered or removed for religious, cultural, or hygienic purposes. Terms for these types of procedures include female circumcision
Female genital cutting

Female genital cutting , also known as female genital mutilation , female circumcision or female genital mutilation/cutting , refers to "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female sex organ whether for culture, religion or other non-therapeutic reasons."...
, Pharaonic circumcision
Circumcision

Male circumcision is the removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin ' and ' .Early depictions of circumcision are found in cave drawings and Ancient Egyptian tombs, though some pictures may be open to interpretation....
, intubation
Intubation

In medicine, intubation refers to the placement of a tube into an external or internal orifice of the body. Although the term can refer to endoscopy procedures, it is most often used to denote tracheal intubation....
, infibulation
Infibulation

Infibulation, in modern usage, is the practice of surgical closure of the labia majora by sewing them together to partially seal the vagina, leaving only a small hole for the passage of urine and menstruation....
, and female genital mutilation or cutting
Female genital cutting

Female genital cutting , also known as female genital mutilation , female circumcision or female genital mutilation/cutting , refers to "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female sex organ whether for culture, religion or other non-therapeutic reasons."...
. In many parts of the world the practice is believed to have ancient origins, but even in countries where it has been widespread in the past, it is now mostly illegal.

Labia piercing
Labia piercing

Labia piercings are a type of female genital piercing. This piercing can be placed either through the labia minora or the labia majora. They are one of the simpler and more common genital piercings performed on women, and are often pierced in symmetrical pairs....
 is a cosmetic piercing, usually with a special needle under sterile
Sterility

The term 'sterility' has several meanings:* The quality or state of being unable to reproduce; of being Infertility. The term may be used of higher animals....
 conditions, of either the inner labia (labia minora
Labia minora

The labia minora or nymphae are two Longitudinal#Anatomy cutaneous folds on the human vulva. They are situated between the labia majora, and extend from the clitoris obliquely downward, laterally, and backward on either side of the vulval vestibule, ending between bottom of the vulval vestibule and the labia majora....
) or the outer labia (labia majora
Labia majora

The labia majora are two prominent longitudinal cutaneous folds which extend downward and backward from the mons pubis to the perineum and form the lateral boundaries of the cleft of venus, which contains the labia minora, interlabial sulci, clitoral hood, clitoral glans, frenulum clitoridis, the Hart's Line, and the vulval vestibule, which...
). Jewelry is worn in the resulting opening
Fistula

In medicine, a fistula is an abnormal connection or passageway between two epithelium-lined organs or vessels that normally do not connect....
.

Additional images

Image:Clitoris_outer_anatomy.gif|Outer anatomy of clitoris. Image:Illu repdt female.jpg|Organs of the female reproductive system. Image:Gray1166.png|Sagittal section of the lower part of a female trunk, right segment. Image:Gray1230.png|Median sagittal section of female pelvis. Image:Vulva and pubic hair.jpg|Vulva
Vulva

The vulva refers to the external sex organ of the female. In colloquial speech, the term vagina is often used to refer to the female genitals generally, although, strictly speaking, the vagina is a specific internal structure, whereas the vulva is the whole exterior genitalia....
's Labia minora within Labia majora

See also

  • Penis
    Penis

    The penis is an external sex organ of certain biologically male organisms, in both vertebrates and invertebrates.The penis is a reproductive organ, technically an intromittent organ, and for Eutheria, additionally serves as the external organ of urination....
  • Vulva
    Vulva

    The vulva refers to the external sex organ of the female. In colloquial speech, the term vagina is often used to refer to the female genitals generally, although, strictly speaking, the vagina is a specific internal structure, whereas the vulva is the whole exterior genitalia....
  • Cleft of Venus
    Cleft of venus

    The cleft of venus is the furrow at the base of the mons veneris where it divides to form the labia majora. In some female humans, the clitoral hood and labia minora protrude through the cleft of venus, in others they do not....
  • Labia stretching
    Labia stretching

    Labia stretching is the act of elongating the labia minora through manual manipulation or physical equipment .It is a familial cultural practice in Rwanda , common in Sub-Saharan Africa...
  • Labia piercing
    Labia piercing

    Labia piercings are a type of female genital piercing. This piercing can be placed either through the labia minora or the labia majora. They are one of the simpler and more common genital piercings performed on women, and are often pierced in symmetrical pairs....
  • Lip
    Lip

    Lips are a visible body part at the mouth of humans and many animals. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake, as an erogenous organ used in kissing and other acts of intimacy, as a tactile sensory organ, and in the articulation of speech....
  • WikiSaurus:labia — the WikiSaurus
    Wiktionary

    Wiktionary is a multilingualism, World Wide Web-based project to create a free content dictionary, available in over 151 languages. Unlike standard dictionaries, it is written collaboratively by volunteers, dubbed "Wiktionarians", using wiki software, allowing articles to be changed by almost anyone with access to the website....
     list of synonyms and slang words for the labia in many languages