Even though it’s the 21st century, there is still SO much we don’t know about women’s bodies — especially our reproductive organs. This lack of information often leads women to believe their bodies are something to be ashamed of — and it doesn’t help that many doctors discount women’s experiences. This is why it’s so important for women to talk to one another and be able to advocate for themselves…
Jose Luis Pelaez / Getty Images
So recently, when Redditor u/fushaman asked the r/TwoXChromosomes community, “What surprising facts do you know about female reproductive organs?” Women of all ages were more than happy to share the shocking anatomy facts they wish they had learned sooner. From ovulation pain to tumors with teeth, here are 15 WILD facts about women’s bodies:
Disclaimer: This post mentions suicide, abortion, and pregnancy loss.
1.“Atrophy is not limited to the labia. The vulva/vagina/clitoris can atrophy as well, and it often starts in perimenopause, which begins about a decade or so before menopause starts.”
“Every woman needs to know about it so they can ask their doctor for something to reverse it. Otherwise, you may lose the ability to orgasm (and that’s just one part of it).
Our moms and grandmothers didn’t know this was a thing, so they didn’t discuss it. It’s up to this generation to make sure every woman knows what happens and how to get help.”
—u/maraq
Predrag Popovski / Getty Images
2.“PMDD is a real thing. It’s now officially recognized as a medical condition, as opposed to overreacting, poor self-control, hysterics, psychosomatic pain, and the multiple psychological disorders it used to be classified as.”
“34% of PMDD sufferers attempt suicide.
It’s NOT just you. You are NOT imagining your symptoms; look them up.
Practitioners who treat it are few and far between, but they exist. Go outside your health plan’s provider list if you must.
It’s worth it. The world needs you.”
—u/headpeon
3.“I don’t know if this is common knowledge, but it surprised me when I found out — the average clitoris is around 3.5 to 4 inches long (not much shorter than a typical penis). But, because most of it is internal, most people never realize it.”
—u/bulldog_blues
4.“While we are luckily raising more and more awareness about endometriosis, there is another condition that can cause similar symptoms: if your ovaries produce a lot of cysts, it can lead to inflammation and scar tissue formation.”
“The scar tissue can grow all around your pelvis and belly. I had complained to doctors for years about my excruciating pain, yet they always turned me away. So, later on, I found I had developed a cluster of extensive scar tissue gluing my reproductive systems to my intestines, bladder, and upper belly.
I suffered from digestive issues because food couldn’t pass properly, and my periods were extra horrible because my uterus would literally pull everything down. Everything acted up.
I had a hysterectomy due to other issues, but during it, a lot of my scar tissue was removed, as well. I can finally eat normally again without the fear of throwing up from the most mundane dishes.”
—u/Curious-Orchid4260
Urbazon / Getty Images
5.“When an egg releases from the ovary, it isn’t attracted to the fallopian tube; the fallopian tube is attracted to the egg — the egg releases a chemical, and the open end of the fallopian tube goes to catch it.”
“This is why if you’ve had a fallopian tube removed, your fertility doesn’t cut in half; the other side’s fallopian tube can move itself around to the opposite ovary to collect that egg! Madness.”
—u/SaxAndViolince
6.“A person can be pregnant without an embryo. As in, the body will be preparing to support a fertilized egg: all the hormones, an amniotic sac, forming a placenta…but the amniotic sac can turn out to be empty because the egg doesn’t develop.”
“This is why abortion is healthcare. It is always the termination of a pregnancy in the body of a person. It doesn’t always involve a potential future life, but it is often the only thing to save an existing life.”
—u/SGTree
7.“Unlike other mammals, the human placenta gets arterial blood. The fetus gets the oxygen we breathe before we do.”
“It’s part of what makes us so susceptible to hemorrhage and preeclampsia. Because we can’t just shunt off our own arteries, it makes it more difficult for humans to miscarry.
Brain development is just very oxygen-hungry. We give birth at the time that the baby’s oxygen needs outstrip our ability to breathe for them and ourselves at the same time. It’s not really about hip-width! The hip width thing is mostly a male gaze reading of the birthing process.
It also allows people to act as if what’s dangerous about childbirth is the birth canal issue. It’s not! Human pregnancy is dangerous because our bodies are literally playing with our oxygen supply. Cesarean section doesn’t change this fundamental fact.”
—u/kavihasya
Science Photo Library – Sciepro / Getty Images
8.“Ovulation and menstruation are two different things. You can have one without the other. You can actually skip a period and still ovulate.”
“The uterus does one thing, the ovaries do another, and they don’t always work together, but it’s nice when they do.”
—u/Miss_Awesomeness
9.“The common narrative about reproduction is that the fastest sperm beats all the other sperm to the egg and then digs its way into the outer walls to ‘make the baby.’ This is a traditional gender role ‘script’ placed on the way biologists have traditionally interpreted science.”
“We now know that this was never the case. The fastest sperm is not often the one to penetrate, and the egg isn’t just waiting around like a damsel in a tower who needs a prince. Rather, the eggs send chemical signals that lure the sperm toward it. Then, when a bunch of sperm cells ram up and try to get in, the egg selects the sperm it ‘wants.'”
—u/According-Title1222
10.“Contrary to popular belief, you still ovulate and menstruate if you get a tubal ligation. The ovum is reabsorbed, and the menstrual bleeding is sourced from the lining of the uterus; ‘tying tubes’ doesn’t stop this from happening.”
“A hysterectomy only removes the uterus and maybe the cervix. You don’t go into early menopause unless you get an oophorectomy (ovary removal) and you still have a vagina after a hysterectomy. I hate these misconceptions.”
—u/kyreannightblood
Henadzi Pechan / Getty Images
11.“We go through a so-called ‘second puberty’ around age 25 that causes our bodies to change in ways that benefit pregnancy — increased mass in the hip area, larger breasts, increased fertility, and subsequently, periods worsening.”
—u/cupcakeconstitution
12.“Mittelschmerz is when you can feel yourself ovulate. It’s a small, sharp cramp on either side of your lower abdomen that can last a few minutes to an hour.”
“I’m fortunate never to get uterine cramps during shedding, but I’ve gotten these seemingly random sharp pains in the general area outside the week of my period, and I never realized what they were until I started tracking my cycle on a calendar.
Every time I was supposed to ovulate, these cramps would begin. I Googled it to confirm, and sure enough, some women (including myself) cramp when they ovulate!”
—u/nothoughtsnosleep
13.“Nearly 50% of women will deal with pelvic organ prolapse at some point in their life — yet no one teaches us how to breathe, lift, exercise, poop, or give birth in a way that protects the pelvic floor and minimizes the damage that causes POP.”
—u/LadybugSunfl0wer
“They do, just not in the US or UK. That’s one of the benefits of a functioning healthcare system.
I had antenatal classes where they told us what to expect and how to breathe, lift, poop, and give birth in a way that is easy on the pelvic floor. After birth, we are visited by board-certified midwives who help with recovery and breastfeeding, and ten to twelve weeks after birth, most women start a course to rebuild their bodies after pregnancy and childbirth. This includes exercise to help with pelvic floor strength and reduce diastasis recti if you develop it.”
—u/SpaghettiCat_14
Globalmoments / Getty Images
14.You can develop a fluid-filled tumor in your ovary that grows bones, teeth, fat, muscles, and hair…
These tumors, known as dermoid teratomas, are thankfully benign. However, if the growth isn’t removed, it can cause further complications.
In rare cases, teratomas have grown to 15 inches in diameter.
Suggested by: u/Greyattimes
15.“Aortocaval Compression Syndrome limits blood flow during pregnancy. I first felt it while pregnant with my first child; I was lying completely flat on my back, watching TV and thinking nothing of it. Suddenly, my heart started racing, and I felt like I had just run up and down a flight of stairs.”
“I sat up to take some deep breaths and try to calm down that adrenaline feeling. So yeah, your baby’s weight can cut off your blood supply. But at least you know when it’s happening…”
—u/OcraftyOne
Connect Images / Getty Images/Connect Images
Did any of these facts about women’s reproductive organs surprise you? Do you know of any other WILD facts about the female body? Let us know in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Dial 988 in the United States to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 988 Lifeline is available 24/7/365. Your conversations are free and confidential. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ youth, is 1-866-488-7386.
