Glossary of terms

The glossary contains information on different parts of a woman’s body. This may be helpful if you are talking to your doctor or other health professional and need to be specific about which part of your body you are referring to.

The opening of the bowels where your poo is released when you go to the toilet. This is not exactly part of gynaecology, but you can develop problems with this area if you have other difficulties.

The place where urine is stored before it is drained when you go to the toilet to pee.

The part of the intestines where poo is stored before you go to the toilet.

The opening of the womb where it meets the top of the vagina. The cervix closes during pregnancy and is open the rest of the time to allow period blood to leave the womb into the vagina. It is important to have regular screening of your cervix to check for early signs of cancer.

The area around the vulva that gives pleasure sensations when you have sex. The clitoral hood is at the top of the labia and the most sensitive external part of the clitoris. The internal parts of the clitoris extend around your vulva and vagina.

The formal name for the lining of the womb (uterus). As part of a normal menstrual cycle, the endometrium thickens to prepare for a pregnancy. If a pregnancy doesn’t happen the unneeded lining leaves the body as a period through your vagina.

The formal word for your poo. Sometimes also called your stool.

The tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus.

The word used to describe your vulva (vagina, labia, and clitoris).

The folds of skin around the vulva area. These can look different in different people but tend to have an outer layer and an the inner layer. The inner layer can often be seen coming out past the outer layer.

When a person does not become pregnant, the lining of their womb leaves their body through the vagina. The bleeding part of this cycle is called menstruation. The whole cycle of changes in hormones, ovulation, thickening of the womb lining and the release of blood is called the menstrual cycle as it repeats in a cycle every 28 days or so.

The places where eggs are made and released each month to prepare for making a baby.

The bony ‘bowl’ that connects your body to your legs that contains internal organs like the uterus, bladder and bowels.

The less formal word for menstruation that describes when a woman or girl bleeds from her vagina once a month. It is the lining of the womb coming away if she is not pregnant.

The muscles underneath the pelvis that support your internal organs and surround your vagina and the openings for pee and poo.

The tube that carries pee from the bladder to the outside.

The womb. The place where a baby grows.

The canal that connects the womb to the outside of a woman’s body. Where your period blood comes out and where most babies come out of the womb to be born.

The external genital area of a woman surrounding and encompassing the clitoris, urethra and vagina.