In women, the gonads descend to a position just inside the pelvic cavity and never pass through the anterior abdominal wall. As a result, the only major structure passing through the inguinal canal is a derivative of the gubernaculum (the round ligament of the uterus).
In both men and women, the groin (inguinal region) is a weak area in the abdominal wall (Fig. 4.15) and is the site of inguinal hernias.