# What purpose do labia minora serve? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 27, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212 "2006-07-27T03:41:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/1 "2006-07-27T03:41:38Z")
I’ve noticed in my voyeurism of the female form, that all vaginas look different. But I’ve really noticed in person and in pics that some women have huge inner labia and some have almost none at all. What is the deal with this? What purpose does it serve and why do some women have large labia and some have really small? ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/2 "2006-07-27T04:01:58Z")
[In a bit of a mood, are we?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=381463) ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/3 "2006-07-27T04:06:56Z")
Just fighting my ignorance. Any ideas on the questions? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/4 "2006-07-27T13:19:11Z")
> [@diggleblop](#): > > Just fighting my ignorance. Any ideas on the questions? 🙂 **Windshield wipers?** ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/5 "2006-07-27T13:36:58Z")
They are to keep bees out. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/6 "2006-07-27T13:52:57Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > They are to keep bees out. But as an unintended side effect, it also keeps the centipedes in. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/7 "2006-07-27T14:00:05Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > But as an unintended side effect, it also keeps the centipedes in. Holy crap. The mere _thought_. _faints_ ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/8 "2006-07-27T14:10:32Z")
It’s to give the pussy troll a bit of privacy. What? ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/9 "2006-07-27T14:38:47Z")
Vaginal puppetry. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/10 "2006-07-27T14:40:57Z")
Without the lips it is more difficult to perform a monologue. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/11 "2006-07-27T14:41:00Z")
Umami punani. ---
**Author:** ![rhiannon777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@rhiannon777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhiannon777)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/12 "2006-07-27T14:55:33Z")
> [@diggleblop](#): > > What purpose does it serve and why do some women have large labia and some have really small? Male and female sex organs are formed from the same embryonic tissue. For the first few weeks, a fetus has a genetic sex but it’s not physically differentiated. So the same tissue that forms the head of the penis in males forms the clitoris in females. The same tissue that forms the scrotum forms the labia majora. And the same tissue that forms the phallus forms the labia minora. So it’s possible that the labia minora are partially a vestigal organ–women have them because men need that tissue to do something evolutionarily valuble. On a more practical note, the labia minora serve the purpose of additional protection for the vagina and urethra. Also, many (or most, according to Masters & Johnson) women who orgasm through sexual intercourse alone (as opposed to clitoral stimulation) are orgasming because the folds of the labia minora meet over the head of the clitoris…during penetration, the labia minora are rubbed back and forth and can stimulate the clitoris, resulting in orgasm. As for why some many have small labia and some women have large…well, on one hand, it just chalks up to individual differences. Much like some people have blue eyes, some people have brown eyes. Some men have large testicles, some have small. There’s probably an element of sexual selection at work, too…perhaps some primitive men were attracted to petite labia, some to large. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/13 "2006-07-27T15:02:54Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Holy crap. The mere _thought_. _faints_ Oh, so you’re going to come in here and tell me that women _don’t_ have centipedes in their vaginas? ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/14 "2006-08-01T01:24:30Z")
Thanks, rhiannon777 ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/15 "2006-08-01T01:31:20Z")
> [@rhiannon777](#): > > Male and female sex organs are formed from the same embryonic tissue. For the first few weeks, a fetus has a genetic sex but it’s not physically differentiated. So the same tissue that forms the head of the penis in males forms the clitoris in females. The same tissue that forms the scrotum forms the labia majora. And the same tissue that forms the phallus forms the labia minora. So it’s possible that the labia minora are partially a vestigal organ–women have them because men need that tissue to do something evolutionarily valuble. > > On a more practical note, the labia minora serve the purpose of additional protection for the vagina and urethra. Also, many (or most, according to Masters & Johnson) women who orgasm through sexual intercourse alone (as opposed to clitoral stimulation) are orgasming because the folds of the labia minora meet over the head of the clitoris…during penetration, the labia minora are rubbed back and forth and can stimulate the clitoris, resulting in orgasm. > > As for why some many have small labia and some women have large…well, on one hand, it just chalks up to individual differences. Much like some people have blue eyes, some people have brown eyes. Some men have large testicles, some have small. There’s probably an element of sexual selection at work, too…perhaps some primitive men were attracted to petite labia, some to large. Great reply and great subject for a debut! Welcome to the Board. You’ll do well here. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/16 "2006-08-01T01:31:39Z")
> [@rhiannon777](#): > > And the same tissue that forms the phallus forms the labia minora. So it’s possible that the labia minora are partially a vestigal organ–women have them because men need that tissue to do something evolutionarily valuble. Ah, so now women can look at their labia minora and say, “if I **had** a dick, it would be huge/small!” ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/17 "2006-08-01T01:56:12Z")
I say someone should pony up rhiannon’s entry fee, and we open the gates. Anyone who can stand up against the silly and ick of the first few posts and still post such an informative and worthwhile response deserves a spot amongst the teeming millions. And failing that, she ought to pay her own way and join us anyway. Welcome, toots. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/18 "2006-08-01T01:59:35Z")
> [@rhiannon777](#): > > So it’s possible that the labia minora are partially a vestigal organ–women have them because men need that tissue to do something evolutionarily valuble. What does drawing a little image of Fidel Castro with funny lips using a Magic Marker on a woman’s groin have to do with evolution? ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/19 "2006-08-01T02:12:34Z")
> [@CC](#): > > I say someone should pony up rhiannon’s entry fee, and we open the gates. Anyone who can stand up against the silly and ick of the first few posts and still post such an informative and worthwhile response deserves a spot amongst the teeming millions. And failing that, she ought to pay her own way and join us anyway. Welcome, toots. Oh, yeah, well, anybody can Google “labia” and manage to come up with some scientific explanation – that’s the easy part. But can she keep up with the scintillating and whimsical humor of these threads? Hmmmm? Besides, nobody offered to pony up my subscription fee when I was holding forth, after great research and and fact-checking, on whether “kitchen,” when used in the phrase “kitchen floor,” is an adjective. Hah! Pay yer own way, kid! Oh, yeah, and when somebody offers pie? It ain’t real pie! Errrr … maybe this wasn’t the best thread to offer that insight … ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212/20 "2006-08-01T02:35:44Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Oh, so you’re going to come in here and tell me that women _don’t_ have centipedes in their vaginas? Haven’t had a girlfriend in a while, have you? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-purpose-do-labia-minora-serve/366212.md?page=2)