阴蒂的外部（续）

阴蒂的外部（续）

The outer edge of each inner lip flares and continues toward the pubic mound (mons veneris in Latin, or Mound of Venus), forming a protective hood over the glans. The hood is analogous to the foreskin of the penis. The inner edges of the inner lips meet just underneath the glans, forming an upside-down “V.” This point is called the bridle, or frenulum. The inner lips are richly endowed with nerve endings, making them quite sensitive to sexual stimulation. Some women say that their inner lips are actually more sensitive than the glans. The bottom edges of the inner lips meet just beneath the vaginal opening, forming an opaque membrane—the little for, or fourchette, which represents the lower boundary of the visible portion of the clitoris. The fork may be torn or cut during childbirth, and its appearance may change or it may be obliterated altogether. Like the commissure that marks the upper extent of the visible clitoris, the fork marks the lower boundary. If you separate the inner lips and stretch the vaginal opening slightly, you may be able to see the remnants of the hymen. At birth the hymen is stretched across the vaginal opening, but it is often frayed, torn, perforated, or it simply disintegrates by the time a woman reaches her mid-teens. For much of history, the intact hymen has been emblematic of a woman’s virginity, indicated that she has not been penetrated by a man’s penis. This concept was established in early patriarchal cultures when women and children were considered property, and girls were sold into marriage in their early teens. A girl had to be a virgin and remain faithful during marriage in order for her husband to be assured that her children where also his children. Today, the essential fragility of the hymen would seem to make it an unreliable indicator of whether or not a woman has had intercourse. In rare cases, it is possible that a hymen may be elastic enough to admit a penis without tearing.

       小阴唇分开并向阴阜延伸（拉丁语中的mons veneris 或 Mound of Venus），形成包绕在阴蒂上的包皮。阴蒂包皮和阴茎包皮类似。小阴唇的内缘在阴蒂下方融合成倒置的 V 形，这个结构叫做系带。小阴唇上分布着丰富的神经末梢，所以对性刺激非常敏感。有些女性声称她们的小阴唇竟然比阴蒂更敏感。小阴唇的下端在阴道口正下方融合，形成不透明的膜（部分）或阴唇系带，标志着阴蒂可见部分的下界。阴唇系带在分娩时易撕裂，外观可能会改变甚至完全消失。如果分开小阴唇并轻轻撑开阴道口，能够看到处女膜残留。 

  

出生时处女膜覆盖整个阴道口，但在女性十五六岁之前处女膜往往已经磨损、撕裂、穿孔了。 人类历史的大部分时间中，完整的处女膜都是女性贞操的标志，表示该女性从未被男性的阴茎插入。这个概念出现于父性文化早期，那时候妇女和儿童被视为个人财产，女孩十几岁的时候就成为了婚姻的商品。只有女孩是处女并且在婚姻期间保持忠贞，才能让他们的丈夫相信她的孩子是自己亲生的。现代社会，自身就脆弱的处女膜并不能作为判断女性有无性交经历的标准。极少见的，也有可能因为处女膜弹性很好，可以容许阴茎的插入也不会破裂。