FREE GUIDE

Knowing your anatomy well isn't just for biology class. It's the key to understanding your pleasure, your pain, and above all, to correctly using your period products (tampon or menstrual cup).

Vulva, Vagina, Uterus... We often mix everything up. Here is a complete, clear, and taboo-free overview of your intimate area, to finally visualize what's going on inside.

Inclusive note: We use precise anatomical terms. These organs concern cisgender women, trans men, and non-binary people assigned female at birth.

1- The Pelvis: 3 systems sharing space

The pelvis is a very crowded space. Three vital systems cohabitate there in a tiny area:

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• The digestive system (Back): The rectum and anus.
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• The reproductive system (Center): Vagina, uterus, ovaries.
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• The urinary system (Front): The bladder and urethra.

💡 Why is this important? This proximity explains everything. A swollen uterus before your period can press on the bladder (urge to pee) or the rectum (constipation/diarrhea). Similarly, constipation can hinder the deployment of your menstrual cup. Everything is connected.

2- The Inside: Uterus, Ovaries, and the famous Cervix

The Ovaries: The stock

These are two almond-sized glands. At birth, you have about 1 million eggs in stock. By puberty, 300,000 remain. This is where the menstrual cycle begins.

👉 Understand the menstrual cycle and ovulation in detail.

The Uterus: The nest

It is a hollow, inverted pear-shaped muscle. Its inner lining (the endometrium) thickens every month to accommodate a baby. If there is no fertilization, it sheds: this is the period.

The Cervix: The door

This is the lower part of the uterus that dips into the vagina. It is an essential tactile landmark.

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• It feels like the tip of a nose to the touch (firm and round).
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• It has a very small opening (3mm) that lets period blood and sperm pass through.
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• Cup Info: The menstrual cup can NEVER get lost in the body, because it cannot pass through this tiny door.

3- The Vagina: It's not what you think

The vagina is not a gaping "hole". It is a virtual muscular canal (its walls touch each other) and elastic, 8 to 10 cm long.

3 little-known facts to use your cup properly:

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2. The Fornix (The trap): The vagina does not stop abruptly at the cervix. It continues a bit around it, creating "cul-de-sacs" called fornices. If you place your cup too high, the cervix may stay on the side (in the fornix) instead of being above the cup. Result: immediate leak.
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4. Sensitivity: Only the entrance to the vagina is highly sensitive. The deep end has few nerve endings. This is why a properly placed cup (high enough) cannot be felt at all.
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6. Self-cleaning: It maintains an acidic pH to kill bacteria. Never use a vaginal douche!

👉 Read our complete dossier dedicated to the Vagina and its health.

4- The Outside: The Vulva and the Clitoris

This is everything you can see on the outside.

The Vulva (The protection)

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• Labia majora and minora: They protect the entrance to the vagina and urethra.
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• The urethral meatus: The small hole where urine comes out (located above the vaginal opening).
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• Bartholin's glands: They provide lubrication.

The Clitoris (The pleasure)

It is the only organ in the human body dedicated exclusively to pleasure. What you see (the glans) is only the tip of the iceberg. Its internal structure (the crura and bulbs) surrounds the vagina and extends over 10 cm!

5- Summary Table: Vulva vs. Vagina

The two terms are often confused. Here is how to differentiate them to speak accurately.

In summary: Your body is a precision mechanism. Uterus to carry life (or the period), Vagina for the passage, Vulva for protection. Knowing it better means respecting it better.