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Labia Majora and Scrotum
The solid, outer lips (the labia majora) of the female genitalia are (at least in part) homologues of the skin which forms the scrotum of the male (Figures 118f-119f). Both structures develop from the two swollen ridges which lie on the sides of the genital area in the developing embryo. They form the lateral limits of the adult female genitalia. The homologous ridges in the male embryo become hollow during their development. Finally their two cavities unite to form a single cavity in a single sac, the scrotum of the male. In the human male, shortly before the completion of embryonic development, the testes, which have previously been located in the body cavity, descend through the inguinal canals (which lie in the groins) and take up their permanent locations in the scrotum.

The labia majora of the female are sensitive to tactile stimulation. This was so in some 92 per cent of the women who were tested by the gynecologists. But there is a difference between the capacity to respond to tactile stimulation and the capacity to respond erotically. Although it is improbable that any area which is insensitive to tactile manipulation could be stimulated erotically, some areas which are tactilely sensitive (e.g., the backs of the hands, the shoulders) are of no especial importance as sources of erotic response. We do not yet have evidence that the labia majora contribute in any important way to the erotic responses of the female.

Neither do we have any evidence that the skin of the scrotum is more sensitive than any other skin-covered surface of the body, and the scrotum does not seem an important source of erotic arousal.
Havelock Ellis 1936(11,1):123 also states that the scrotum “is not the seat of any voluptuous sensation.”

There are quite a few males who react erotically, and a small number who may respond to the point of orgasm when there is some stimulation or more active manipulation of the testes; but this response is not due to the stimulation of the skin of the scrotum.

Labia Minora
The inner lips of the female genitalia, the labia minora (Figure 118f), are homologous with a portion of the skin covering the shaft of the penis of the male. Both the outer and the inner surfaces of the labia minora appear to be supplied with more nerves than most other skin-covered parts of the body, and are highly sensitive to tactile stimulation. The gynecologic examinations made for this study showed that some 98 per cent of the tested women were conscious of tactile stimulation when it was applied to either the outside or inside surfaces of the labia, and about equally responsive to stimulation of either the left or right labium.

As sources of erotic arousal, the labia minora seem to be fully as important as the clitoris. Consequently, masturbation in the female usually involves some sort of stimulation of the inner surfaces of these labia. Sometimes this is accomplished through digital strokes which may be confined to the labial surfaces; usually the strokes extend to the clitoris which is located at the upper (the anterior) end of the genital area where the two labia minora unite to form a clitoral hood. However, manipulation of the labia may also involve nerves that lie deep within their tissues. This is suggested by the fact that digital stimulation of the labia is often effected while the thighs are tightly pressed together so pressure may be exerted on the labia. Sometimes the technique may involve nothing more than a tightening of the thighs or a crossing of the legs, without digital stimulation. Sometimes the labia are rhythmically pulled in masturbation. During coitus, the entrance of the male organ into the vagina may provide considerable stimulation for the labia minora. All of these techniques are also significant in producing the muscular tensions which are of prime importance in the development of sexual responses.

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