Internal Anatomy 101

Learning and understanding your body allows you to communicate more effectively with medical providers. It also helps you better understand how things are supposed to work together in the body.

Anus: The opening at the end of the digestive tract where poop comes out. It also has a lot of nerve endings, so some people experience pleasure around this area.

Assigned Sex at Birth: The label (usually "male" or "female") given to you at birth based on your external body parts.

Cervix: The small, donut-shaped opening between the uterus and vagina. It lets out period blood and can stretch wide during childbirth. Small but mighty!

Clitoris: The powerhouse of pleasure. A small external organ with tons of nerve endings—more than any other body part. Most of it is actually inside the body!

Cisgender (Cis): When your gender identity matches the sex you were assigned at birth.

Endometrium: The soft inner lining of the uterus. It builds up each month to prepare for a baby, and if there’s no baby, it sheds during your period.

Fallopian Tubes: Two tiny tubes that connect your ovaries to your uterus. They’re where the sperm and egg usually meet for fertilization.

Fimbria: Tiny, finger-like projections at the end of each fallopian tube, closest to the ovary. Their job is to gently "catch" the egg when it’s released from the ovary and guide it into the fallopian tube. Think of them like soft little hands waving the egg in the right direction!

Fundus: The top, rounded part of the uterus, above where the fallopian tubes connect. It’s kind of like the uterus’s “hat”—it plays a big role during pregnancy and labor by helping push the baby out.

Gender Identity: How you feel and know yourself on the inside—like male, female, both, neither, or something else.

Intersex: A person born with reproductive or physical traits that don’t fit typical male or female definitions.

Labia (Outer & Inner): The “lips” of the vulva. Outer labia are larger and can have hair; inner labia are thinner and usually hairless. They protect the vaginal and urethral openings.

Mons Pubis: The soft, fatty area above the vulva, usually covered in pubic hair after puberty. It's like a built-in cushion for your pelvic bone.

Myometrium: The thick, middle muscle layer of the uterus. It contracts during your period and big time during childbirth—hello, cramps and labor!

Ovaries: Small organs that release eggs and produce hormones like estrogen. They’re basically your body’s egg-holders and hormone factories.

Pelvic Floor: A group of muscles that support your pelvic organs and help with peeing, pooping, and sexual pleasure. They're like the core strength for your downstairs.

Perimetrium: The thin outer layer of the uterus. It acts like a protective jacket for the uterus, keeping it strong and in place.

Transgender (Trans): When your gender identity is different from the sex you were assigned at birth.

Urethra: A small tube that carries pee from the bladder to outside your body. Not to be confused with the vagina!

Uterus (Womb): A strong, muscular organ where a baby can grow. If no baby is growing, the lining breaks down and becomes your period.

Vagina: A stretchy muscular tube inside the body. It’s where tampons go, menstrual blood comes out, and where a baby passes through during birth. Not a black hole—nothing gets lost in there!

Vaginal Opening: The part you can see on the outside, where period blood comes out and where penetration can happen.

Vulva: The outside parts of your genitals (not the same as your vagina!). It includes the labia, clitoris, vaginal opening, and urethra.

❌ Myth: "A tampon can get lost inside your body."

✅ Fact: Nope! Your vagina is not a bottomless pit. It ends at the cervix, which acts like a barrier. A tampon might get stuck or feel hard to reach, but it can’t travel into your stomach or disappear.

❌ Myth: "Girls pee out of their vagina."

✅ Fact: The urethra is a separate tube just above the vaginal opening. It’s tiny but mighty—and totally separate from where menstrual blood comes out.

❌ Myth: "You only have one ovary."

✅ Fact: Most people with female anatomy have two ovaries—one on each side of the uterus. They usually take turns releasing eggs each month.

❌ Myth: "The uterus is just for pregnancy."

✅ Fact: The uterus also plays a big role in menstruation. Even if someone never has a baby, the uterus still builds and sheds its lining every month.

❌ Myth: "Your period is dirty or gross."

✅ Fact: Menstrual blood is just a mix of blood and tissue from the uterus—nothing dirty about it. It's a normal, healthy process your body goes through to stay ready.

❌ Myth: "Sperm can survive anywhere inside the body."

✅ Fact: Sperm need a very specific path: vagina → cervix → uterus → fallopian tubes. Outside that path, their chances of survival go way down.

❌ Myth: "The vagina is a giant hole."

✅ Fact: The vagina is actually a stretchy, muscular tube about 3–4 inches long when relaxed. It can expand (like during childbirth or arousal), but it's not just an empty space.

❌ Myth: "The ovaries release eggs randomly."

✅ Fact: The ovaries are on a schedule—controlled by hormones. Usually, one egg is released during each menstrual cycle.

❌ Myth: "Everyone’s reproductive parts look the same."

✅ Fact: Just like faces, noses, or feet—every person’s anatomy is unique. Vaginas, vulvas, and even uteruses come in all shapes and sizes.

❌ Myth: "Once you get your period, you're fully grown."

✅ Fact: Your body continues developing for several years after your first period. Hormones keep shaping your body and brain throughout your teen years.

1. Can something get lost inside the vagina?

Short answer: Nope, it can’t get lost!

Why: The vagina is a closed muscular tube that ends at the cervix, so things like tampons or condoms can’t travel into your body. If something feels stuck, it’s okay to relax and gently remove it. If that doesn't work, see a doctor—no shame in that!

2. Why do I get cramps during my period?

Short answer: Blame the uterus—it’s flexing!

Why: Cramps happen because the myometrium (the uterus’s muscle layer) is contracting to push out the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) during your period.

3. What does the uterus actually do when I’m not pregnant?

Short answer: It gets ready just in case!

Why: Each month, your uterus builds a soft lining (the endometrium) in case a fertilized egg needs a cozy spot. If no pregnancy happens, the lining sheds as your period.

4. Can I still get pregnant if sperm goes near the vagina but not in?

Short answer: It’s very unlikely, but not impossible.

Why: Sperm needs to get inside the vagina, swim up through the cervix and into the uterus to reach the egg in the fallopian tube. Direct contact is usually required, but it's always smart to understand your birth control options when you’re older.

5. What happens to the egg if it doesn’t get fertilized?

Short answer: Your body says, “Never mind,” and gets rid of it.

Why: The egg dissolves and the uterus sheds its lining. That shedding is what causes your period.

6. How big is my uterus?

Short answer: Smaller than a fist—but it’s strong!

Why: The uterus is about the size of a pear when you're not pregnant, but it can stretch a lot—like, big enough to carry a whole baby.

7. How does the egg get from the ovary to the uterus?

Short answer: It takes the fallopian tube highway.

Why: The fallopian tubes are like little transport tunnels. They gently move the egg toward the uterus using tiny hair-like structures inside called cilia.

8. What does the cervix feel like?

Short answer: Kind of like the tip of your nose.

Why: It’s firm but soft and can feel a bit round or donut-shaped. During childbirth, it stretches a LOT.

9. Why do I have two ovaries and two fallopian tubes?

Short answer: It’s a backup system!

Why: Each ovary takes turns releasing an egg each month. It’s part of the body’s way of giving you a steady rhythm of hormones and a chance at pregnancy, even if one side isn't working perfectly.

10. What keeps the internal organs from just flopping around?

Short answer: Your pelvic muscles and ligaments are doing some serious behind-the-scenes work.

Why: Your reproductive organs are held in place by a mix of muscles, connective tissue, and your pelvic floor. Think of them like a built-in support hammock!