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Question:
I have a question for one of the doctors....I am 18
years of age and have a hormonal disability on the skin
around my clitoris , or at least I think that's what it
is...I have not had an intercourse yet, only oral sex
with one partner. The problem is that the skin on one
side of the clitoris has grown much longer that the
other. I am afraid that this is going to be a problem
once i start having sex, as it will be "in the way"... I am
also afraid that my next partner will be frightened
when he sees it, although this one was not.
Can you please help me , and tell me a little about this
problem, as I have never heard of such a thing. I am
afraid to talk to anyone about this, only my
ex-boyfriend who lives in another country.
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Answer:
by Annette Owens: (05/13/2004)
I am glad that you asked your question. Don’t worry,
all names remain confidential and we never publish any
identifying information.
First of all let me make one general comment about
skin which grows and changes in appearance:
No matter where in the body, skin which undergoes
certain changes HAS to be checked out by a
dermatologist. These changes include 1) areas of skin
which change in color (get darker), 2)
moles which start to grow in size, start to itch
and/or start to bleed. In these cases it is very
important that a dermatologist tests for the
possibility of skin cancer, which can be treated,
thereby saving lives. I do not want to scare you but I
do want to emphasize the importance of
taking certain changes in skin texture and color
serious.
Hormonal changes can sometimes cause areas of skin to
change color. Some pregnant women get
brown spots in different areas, sometimes in the face,
which is called “mask of pregnancy.” What
you are describing could be entirely normal. The outer
skin folds on each side of the clitoris are
covered with pubic hair and are called the outer lips,
or labia majora. They protect the inner lips
(labia minora) which are also skin folds. I am not
quite sure which part of the skin you are
referring to. I would recommend to get a book with
anatomical pictures and to get familiar with
your own genital anatomy by holding a mirror. One
book
I can recommend is called “Becoming
Orgasmic” by Julia Heiman and Joseph LoPiccolo. Many
book stores have it or you can purchase
it online from Amazon.com. What I like about this book
is that it shows an illustration on page 36
with four variations of the vagina. This sketch
clearly shows you how different vaginas can look,
even in one woman can the two sides be very
asymmetrical. So you could very well have a
perfectly normal vagina.
The skin folds usually get engorged and much thicker
during the arousal phase. I would not worry
about the skin “getting in the way” during
intercourse. You can help your partner to insert his
penis by separating your labia with your fingers. You
can either use one or both hands to do this.
Once his penis is inserted the skin folds are pushed
to the side and will not get in the way.
If you have any further questions please do not
hesitate to ask me again!
Sincerely,
Annette Owens, MD PhDReviewed by: Kathleen VanKirk DHS
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