Inconsistencies have existed in the literature pertaining to the usage of the terms "dorsal" and "ventral" to describe the female urethra for years. The authors designed a survey study to demonstrate this inconsistency amongst genitourinary surgeons. When asked to label the dorsal urethra, 48% of respondents correctly labeled it as "dorsal," 27% incorrectly labeled it as "ventral," and 25% elected to write-in a response. When asked to label the ventral urethra, 52% of respondents correctly labeled it as "ventral," 26% incorrectly labeled it as "dorsal," and 22% elected to write-in a response.The significant mislabeling of the female urethra provides rationale for establishing standardized terminology. This nomenclature confusion has been a poorly addressed issue lurking in the genitourinary literature for decades with an article published in the Journal of Urology dating back as early as 2005 showing the use of this improper terminology. We cannot continue to ignore this problem and must do better as a community to remedy this as soon as possible with increased recognition and intervention by large societies, and more explicit descriptors in textbooks highlighting female urethral anatomy.
Keywords: anatomy; pelvic surgery; urethra; urology.