Anatomical Structures of Sexual Organs for Reproduction Female

External Genitalia

External genitalia serve to protect the internal sex organs from the external environment. The high density of sensory receptors in these structures, especially the clitoris, make this area a prime focus for generating sexual pleasure

Once again, societal concepts regarding what is sexually attractive are starting to intervene in the lives of American Women... A new trend in cosmetic surgery in the US is labioplasty/labia- reduction surgery. The most common procedure is trimming the labia minora (extremely painful, by the way); although enhancing the size of the labia majora also is performed. - Does sexual desirability now depend on labia size and shape as well?!. (Once again, think about the “we behave according to our beliefs” concept!

Vulva - The Reality: Variations on a Theme

Internal Details of Sex Organs - Female

Breasts

Breasts are modified sweat glands which function as lactation devices to feed infants. A high density of touch receptors combined with erectile tissue in the nipple is present to give infants something to suckle on while nursing. The physical sensations of suckling can be interpreted as pleasurable and they may become a part of sexual behavior

Breasts

Unlike the image of female breasts that the American media is so fond of presenting, breasts actually come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes. A rather sad commentary on American culture is that until the 1990’s, the average (bra) cup size in the U.S. was a “B” … only following a huge increase in the number of women choosing breast augmentation surgery in the 90’s (by 2000: ~2 million US women vs. 150 thousand UK women; - 255,000 performed in US in 1999 vs. 42,000 in UK in 1990), did the “average” cup size increase to a “C” (based on corporate statistics for bra sales in the 20 th century, 2001). For some reason, many American women have been convinced that they are somehow socially and sexually inadequate unless they conform to the media’s image of what is acceptable.

Breasts – The Reality: Variations on a Theme

In some cultures larger breasts are looked on as a desirable attribute for women because they represent nurturing; the ability to suckle infants. Only in modern western societies, and especially in American society, have breasts been looked on as (almost) exclusively sexual attributes - where sexual desirability depends on breast size and shape. (Think about the “we behave according to our beliefs” concept!)