In anatomy, the perineum is the region between the genital area and the anus in both sexes. It is considered to be one of the intimate parts of the body.

The muscles and fasciæ of the perineum

The perineum corresponds to the outlet of the pelvis. Its deep boundaries are—in front, the pubic arch and the arcuate ligament of the pubis ; behind, the tip of the coccyx; and on either side the inferior rami of the pubis and ischium , and the sacrotuberous ligament . The space is somewhat lozenge-shaped and is limited on the surface of the body by the scrotum (in males) or the vulva (in females) in front, by the buttocks behind, and laterally by the medial side of the thigh. A line drawn transversely across in front of the ischial tuberosities divides the space into two portions. The posterior contains the termination of the anal canal and is known as the anal region; the anterior, which contains the external urogenital organs, is termed the urogenital region.

The muscles of the perineum may therefore be divided into two groups:

1. Those of the anal region.
2. Those of the urogenital region: A, In the male; B, In the female.

Slang

There are a variety of colourful slang terms for the perineum in the English language: see the "perineum" section of the body parts slang article.

See also

• Fourchette