A woman's reproductive parts are hidden and well protected. In addition to their reproductive role, these organs also play a vital part in hormonal distribution and regulation, thus affecting female libido and monthly cycles of fertility and responsiveness.

Uterus

The uterus is where the fertilized egg lives and develops for approximately nine months before birth. The tissue that forms the uterus is made up of powerful muscles that expand or contract according to need, with soft tissue on the inside to protect and nourish the growing fetus. The uterus is small when the woman is not pregnant — about the size of a pear — but it can stretch to considerable size when holding one or more babies.

Every month during a woman's menstrual cycle the uterus fills with blood and tissue in order to prepare for possible fertilization. If the egg is not fertilized, the blood leaves the body in the form of the woman's menstrual period. The cycle then begins again.

Fallopian Tubes

The fallopian tubes are the tubes that connect the ovaries to the top of the uterus. Eggs travel from the ovaries through the fallopian tubes and into the uterus. Sometimes, though rarely, an egg can get embedded in one of the fallopian tubes, become fertilized, and develop there. This is called an ectopic pregnancy and must be terminated because the fetus cannot grow in the tube.

Ovaries

The ovaries are the two vessels where the eggs, the female's contribution to new life, are stored. A woman has all the eggs she will ever have in her two ovaries by the time she is born. Every month, as the hormones dictate, one of the ovaries will release an egg into the fallopian tube. That egg will descend to the uterus where it will either become fertilized, leading to pregnancy, or pass through the os of the uterus with the monthly menstrual blood.

Pelvic Floor Muscles

The pubococcygeus (PC) muscles make up the web of muscles that support the pelvic floor in women as well as in men. Some run front to back and others run side to side, crisscrossing to form the support system. It is these muscles that stop and start the flow of urine and bowel movements, keep the bladder from leaking, contract during orgasm, open for birthing babies, and hold the internal organs in place. Keeping these muscles toned is very important to sexual and genital health. These are the muscles that are strengthened by doing Kegel exercises.