What is "pudendal cleft"

n. the fissure between the labia majora [syn: urogenital cleft, rima pudendi, rima vulvae, pudendal cleavage, pudendal slit, vulvar slit]

The pudendal cleft (also called the cleft of Venus, pudendal fissure, pudendal cleavage, pudendal slit, urogenital cleft, vulvar slit, rima vulvae, or rima pudendi) is a part of the vulva, the furrow at the base of the mons pubis where it divides to form the labia majora. The name cleft of Venus is a reference to the Roman goddess of love, Venus.

In human females, the clitoral hood and labia minora protrude into the pudendal cleft to a greater or lesser extent. Given this diversity and the frequent portrayal of the pudendal cleft without protrusion in art and pornography, there has been a rise in the popularity of labiaplasty, surgery to alter the labia.