Sex is profound and meaningful even without an orgasm.  The goal of sexual intimacy is to express emotional and spiritual oneness with your spouse.  There is much more to sexual intimacy than just physical response.  If you need confirmation that sexual intimacy for your husband is truly emotion in motion, see Forgiven Wife’s recent survey findings (here and here).

Orgasm is a perk that can help with low libido.  I am focusing on orgasm because for nearly two out of ten of my friends, this is a struggle.  You might not have contemplated some of this information before about your potential to orgasm.

A Window Into O’s was the introductory post regarding orgasms (or more specifically, the lack of orgasms.)

Prayer: A Window Into O’s was to help gather thoughts to talk to God about your sexual intimacy.

Understanding your female structure is very important in pursuing orgasms.  Knowledge steals the fear away from the mysterious nether regions.   So far, here is the anatomy we’ve covered:

The Plumbing of O’s: Origin of Orgasm Tissue

The Plumbing of O’s: Labia Love

Today, we will discuss what lies beneath our satiny curtains.  The labia minora protects the vestibule (also known as the vulval or vaginal vestibule).  The vestibule comprises the length and width of the area of silky skin under the labia minor, from the clitoris to the vaginal opening.

Again, God’s design is incredible.

The Vestibule
The three main structures within the vulval vestibule are perfectly aligned down the center.  Starting at the top you’ll find our leading lady, glamour girl, the clitoris.  Nearly an inch below the clitoris is the urethral opening (scientifically termed the external urethral meatus), the end destination for urine.  Below the urethra is the opening to the vagina.

Skene’s glands
To the left and right of the urethra, you’ll find tiny openings for the Skene’s glands.  The Skene’s glands are also known as the female prostate, because they are homologues to the male prostate.  These glands drain fluid into the urethra and into the vestibule near the urethral opening.Skene’s glands have a saucy reputation and occasionally make a cameo appearance, though not for every lady.  They seem to be the source of female ejaculate.  Female ejaculate, once considered mythical, is a substance that certain females dispel upon orgasm.  The force and amount of the dispelled substance depends upon the woman.  The dispelled substance is not urine and has a chemical structure similar to what male prostate glands produce (see the 2007 study in Austria here).

According to, Sexual Medicine History, a document written in 2010 by teams from Sexual Medicine in San Diego, CA and the Dept. of Urology, University Medical Center, Hamburg, Germany, the female ejaculate was first recorded in 300 BC by Aristotle.

According to a 2002 Italian study, not all women possess these glands.  If you experience female ejaculate, you are perfectly normal.  If you don’t experience female ejaculate, you are perfectly normal.

Bartholin’s glands
To the left and right of the vaginal opening you’ll find tiny openings for the Bartholin’s glands.  These glands are our stage hands, usually remaining silent.  They produce a tiny drop or two of lubrication during sexual arousal.  I found one source that hypothesizes the gland also helps lubricate after urination to keep the vestibule from becoming irritated.

 The Vagina
Our supporting actress is found at the furthermost region of the vulval vestibule, the opening for the vagina.  The vagina functions as the birth canal, exit for menstrual flow, and a sheath for our husbands.  Vagina in latin means a sheath or scabbard, a covering for a sword.  (Could that be why we call our sword wielding misters ‘Knights in Shining Armor?’)Interesting side note:  The writers’ of Grey’s Anatomy were chastised for using the word vagina too often and were asked to coin a euphemism.  Hence the popular term, va-jay-jay, was born.  It seems some people were too uncomfortable with the term vagina.

The vaginal opening is blessed with an abundance of nerves.  The outer third of the vagina is plugged into the somatic nervous system, specifically the pudendal nerve.  “The pudendal nerve also supplies sensory fibers to the skin of vulva, external urethral meatus, clitoris, perineum, and lower vagina,” Page 21 of ‘A Comprehensive Textbook of Obstetrics and Gynecology,’ by Sadhana Gupta.

You usually aren’t aware of the Bartholin’s glands unless they become clogged and a cyst forms.  Even then, medical attention isn’t always immediately necessary.  Cysts can fade on their own.

The vaginal opening shares circuitry with the clitoris!  Orgasm tip #3: It’s a sweet spot, pay attention to it.

Final Thought
The last structure to mention is external and not a part of our female genitalia, the anus and surrounding area.  It is included because it is a part of the female erogenous zone.  The pudendal nerve, as mentioned above, also innervates this area.

To see a diagram of the female genitalia/anatomy, jump to the Britannica Encyclopedia website here.

Wait!  What about our glamour girl, the clitoris?
Well, that diva deserves a whole post devoted just to her.  There will be an in-depth clitoral post coming soon.

A Window into Orgasm Series: