Disclaimer: This article contains language, images, and discussion revolving around genitals, which may trigger dysphoria in some individuals. Please, take care of yourself and take breaks if necessary.
I am a man with a vulva. Being transgender, I've had a complicated relationship with my sexual organs pretty much my whole life. It doesn't help that I grew up with poor sexual education. When I was a young teenager, I struggled finding a thorough explanation of what the hell was going on down there that wasn't laden with feminine language and cissexism. I hope to provide a starting point for any person with a vulva out there, both trans and cisgender, who needs an explanation.
The Vulva
When you stand and look at your naked body in the mirror, the first thing you may notice about your genital area is hair. This area is known in the medical community as mons pubis. It is the rounded mound of fatty tissue on the pubic bone typically covered in wiry pubic hair. Your weight correlates to the amount of fatty tissue on this area. The amount of hair you have down there is related to a combination of age, hormones, and genetics. If you often run your hands through the hair located here, you may notice pimples appearing, so make sure wash hands before and after exploring! Any other irregularities should be discussed with a parent or doctor.
Next is the labia majora, which is the larger outer folds of the vulva. The size of your labia majora is relative to your weight and, again, genetics. Some people have a large and thick labia majora while others have barely-there lips. Past the labia majora are -surprise- the labia minora. These are just the smaller, pinker, inner folds.
The clitoris is infamous for being difficult to find, so some shading of my diagram is in order. Below the clitoral hood is highlighted.
The clitoral hood is a fold of skin protecting the glans of the clitoris. The clitoral hood is very important in keeping the clit safe and sensitive. Someone with a smaller clitoral hood may experience their clitoris being rubbed raw by friction throughout the day, and would therefore be less sensitive to stimulation. If you take two fingers and pull up this hood (this may be more difficult depending on the size and shape of your hood*), you can see a tiny bulb, button, or even a pinprick. This is the glans or head of your clitoris.
*If you would like to see a graph with the different lengths of clitoral hoods, click on this link. Warning: The link, although nonsexual, contains pictures of real vulvas and is therefore NSFW.
If you’re like me and you have a hood that more than completely covers your clitoris, you may not be able to see it very well. But press down in that space and you should be able to feel something there. However, the clitoris goes so much deeper than just what you see. Most of the clitoris is inside the body, sort of like how you can only see the tip of an iceberg while the impressive part is under the water. To see a simply drawn diagram of what this looks like, you can check out this image by Confi. You can stimulate the rest of the "iceberg" of the clitoris by applying pressure to the space slightly below the left and right of the clitoris head.
Another very infamous part of a vulva is the hymen. The hymen is an elastic membrane that partially closes the vaginal opening. Hymens come in all shapes and sizes, most commonly shaped like a half moon as shown below.
The presence of a hymen is traditionally thought of a marking of virginity, but this is a misconception. The hymen most often only covers a portion of the vaginal opening, rather than covering the whole thing like a blanket as commonly thought. The opening(s) in the hymen allow blood and other discharge to come out. It is true that even this stretch membrane can tear due to penetration, but hymens are a permanent part of the anatomy of a vulva and do not just disappear after sex. I still have a part of my hymen after years of penetrative sex. The hymen sometimes changes shapes after repeated penetration or other stresses on the elastic membrane, but the shape of a hymen is not a surefire way to tell if someone is a virgin.
Just like penises, vulvas need to be carefully cleaned every time you shower. Use a soft, wet wash rag to clean under the clitoral hood by pulling up on the hood gently with two fingers. You may notice white flecks of something called smegma. Yep, people with vulvas get this too! Smegma can contribute to the odor of a vulva, so check for it often. It can also occur in the folds of the labia. After you're done there, you can get a small amount of plain, non-perfumed soap and wash the rest of the vulva. Do not get any soap into the vaginal opening, as this can negatively affect the balance of pH and good bacteria inside.
Having a vulva doesn't have to be a big mystery. If we educate the younger generations and continue relying on science, one day having a vulva will be a hell of a lot easier than it is currently.
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