Frenulum labiorum pudendi

In female human anatomy, the frenulum labiorum pudendi (aka. the fourchette) is a frenulum where the labia minora meet at the back. Above it is the vulval vestibule.

The area where the labia minora meet posteriorly is called the posterior commissure of the labia minora.

Pathology

The fourchette may be torn during delivery due to the sudden stretching of the vulval orifice, or during intercourse. To prevent this tearing in a haphazard manner, obstetricians and, less frequently, midwives may perform an episiotomy, which is a deliberate cut made in the perineum starting from the fourchette downwards. Episiotomies may result in reduced sexual sensation following recovery as the fourchette is a part of the clitoris and contains sensory nerve endings which are severed in the procedure.

The fourchette may also be torn in acts of sex wherein forced entry occurs such as rape. When the fourchette gets torn the bleeding which ensues sometimes requires surgical suturing for containment.

Etymology

"Fourchette" is French for "little fork, and the word is also used as a technical term for a type of dessert fork. (See frenulum for details on the eytmology of that word.)

See also

• Fourchette piercing

References