Frenulum labiorum pudendi
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| Frenulum labiorum pudendi | |
|---|---|
| External genital organs of female. The labia minora have been drawn apart. (Label="Frenulum pudendi") | |
| Gray's | subject #270 1265 |
In female human anatomy, the frenulum labiorum pudendi (aka. the fourchette) is a frenulum where the labia minora meet at the back. Above it is the Vulval vestibule.
The fourchette may be torn during delivery due to the sudden stretching of the vulval orifice. To prevent this tearing in a haphazard manner, obstetricians and, less frequently, midwives may perform an episiotomy, which is a deliberate cut made in the perineum starting from the fourchette downwards. Episiotomies may result in reduced sexual sensation following recovery as the fourchette is a part of the clitoris and contains sensory nerve endings which are severed in the procedure.
The fourchette may also be torn in acts of sex wherein forced entry occurs such as rape. When the fourchette gets torn the bleeding which ensues sometimes requires surgical suturing for containment.
The area where the labia minora meet at the back is called the posterior commisure of the labia minora.
Fourchette is also a technical term for a type of dessert fork.
[edit] See also
es:Frenulum labiorum pudendi
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