For the best browsing experience please enable JavaScript. Instructions for Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer , other browsers. The female sexual organs include the vagina, vulva, clitoris, cervix, womb, ovaries, urethra and back passage anal area. The female reproductive system includes a number of parts. The ovaries hold the eggs which are released each month during childbearing age.
They also produce sex hormones which control periods. The fallopian tubes connect the ovaries to the womb also called the uterus.
When an egg is released it travels down the fallopian tube towards the womb. At this time, sperm from the male can pass into the fallopian tube where it may meet the egg and fertilise it. Fertilised eggs pass down the fallopian tube to the womb, which holds and protects the baby during pregnancy.
The lining of the womb is called the endometrium. It thickens during the menstrual cycle ready for pregnancy. The cervix is the lower part of the womb. It is the opening into the vagina.
During a period or menstruation, blood passes from the womb through the cervix and then to the vagina. The vagina also opens and expands during sexual intercourse and stretches during childbirth to allow a baby to come out.
