[color=dark-blue]I mentioned (in the Down South thread) having prepared this "Instruction manual" for a virginal male friend who was somewhat mystified by the prospect of how female genitalia work... Since mentioning it, I've had a number of responses both on the thread and by PM from guys who have asked to see it, so I'll post it here. I hope it's helpful both to inexperienced (and maybe even experienced) men, and also women who may not have had the chance to get really familiar with their "parts"...
Please note that I'm not an expert, apart from actually posessing the aforementioned organs, so I'm hoping that the other members here will pitch in and add their own instructions and corrections. This is also not in any way exhaustive --- but there's lots more information out there, for example at
http://www.lilithweb.com or at
http://www.the-clitoris.com among many many others... (I'm not affiliated with either web-site, but I have found both useful myself.)[/color]
Instruction Manual to the Female Genitals,
or
How to Go Down on your Girlfriend
Ok... Some friends of mine were having this big discussion the other day about how no one ever shows a diagram, let alone a real picture, of the female genitals in sex ed. We see the reproductive system (which looks like a moose, not like something that's part of our bodies!) but not our actual genitals... No wonder guys have no clue!
So...
The clit is the site of most pleasure for women. It has twice the nerve endings of the entire penis, and it's much smaller, so you can imagine how intense it is!!! It stays hidden under the hood most of the time, which in turn is protected by the labia majora. The clit is the same kind of spongy tissue as the penis, so it fills up with blood when the woman (me!) gets excited. What you have to remember is that the clit is actually more than just the little bump you see. It extends down towards the pubic bone, kind of like an upside-down Y --- or imagine the roots of a tooth, you'll get the general idea. So rather than concentrating ALL the energy on the tip, try stroking the length of it. Some women prefer you to stroke the underside (the side near the vagina) & others prefer the side near the hood (myself included)... Sometimes it's too intense to just stroke the tip of the clit. You can also try stroking it through the hood, and when you play with the labia minora that also pulls the hood across the clit, which can feel wonderful...
The opening to the vagina is pretty much collapsed when the woman isn't excited, but it fills up with blood too and begins to open up. The nerve endings are all in the lower 1/3 of it, and there's almost nothing in the upper 2/3 --- so even your smallest finger can reach most of the sensitive area. The upper 2/3 forms a balloon-shaped opening when the woman is aroused, and the bottom 1/3 clenches tighter around the man's finger/tongue/penis --- the idea is to collect the semen he releases and not to let it drip out! The cervix is usually about 5" in, I'm told, so honestly I have no idea what happens when the guy has a huge cock --- it can't all fit in! Anyway, the angle of the opening is actually tilted up towards the woman's front (think of it as leading up towards the navel). I always kind of expected that it would go in straight, like angled towards my neck, but the first time I tried to insert a tampon I discovered just how wrong I was... Take your time & play with a finger (fingernails trimmed short!!!) to figure out what angle it goes at before you try pushing anything in there... Oh, and incidentally, the vagina is where all the lubrication is produced, so that's where all the moisture comes from...
The labia minora & the inside of the labia majora are mucous membrane (sounds delightful, eh?) just like everything inside them, or like the inside of your mouth. The outside of the labia majora are normal skin. The mucous membrane is really, really sensitive... It doesn't take much to stimulate that kind of tissue. (I think the head of the penis is the same too, but I'm not totally sure on that.) So be really gentle, and make sure everything is really well lubed --- different women produce different amounts of lube, so you might need to use artificial stuff with some & not with others.
So... Where to play? EVERYWHERE!!! But focus especially on the clit, or on teasing the area just around it... I find it feels really good to have something filling my vagina while my clit is being played with, so a finger or two in there is great... (Often I prefer the fingers to be relatively still, not pushing in and out to simulate intercourse --- just having something to contract my vaginal muscles around is extremely pleasurable, but the thrusting can be either distracting or painful if your fingernails snag... Fingers are, of course, more independently mobile than penises, so you can explore the vagina without thrusting them in and out, too.) Sucking on the labia minora feels awesome as well, as does penetrating the vagina with your tongue... Tongues are great inventions, because (a) they're lubed, and (b) they don't have fingernails and (c) they are much hotter than fingers. The feeling of breath across the clit or labia can be really amazing, especially if you alternate hot & cool (i.e., by pursing your lips as if whistling then opening your mouth wide, blowing air out the whole time)...
Most importantly, listen to what the woman says (verbally and through her body language) about what you're doing. If she says 'no', 'stop', 'ouch', or anything like that, do as she says. Communicating with her is vital to your learning process as well, since every woman is different and the generalizations I've mentioned here won't do the trick for everyone. Besides, if you respond to her likes and dislikes and learn to pleasure her well, chances are she'll respond in kind and do the same for you!
Happy exploring!