Can Cervical Cancer Be Prevented?". American Cancer Society. November 1, 2017. Archived from the original on December 10, 2016 . Retrieved January 7, 2018. Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting, is genital modification with no health benefits. [239] [240] The most severe form is Type III FGM, which is infibulation and involves removing all or part of the labia and the vagina being closed up. A small hole is left for the passage of urine and menstrual blood, and the vagina is opened up for sexual intercourse and childbirth. [240] You can use your fingers or a sex toy to penetrate your vagina during solo play. You’ll feel the “Big O” deeper in your body, and your vaginal walls will throb.

How deep is the average vagina? Size and appearance

Zenilman J, Shahmanesh M (2011). Sexually Transmitted Infections: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. pp.329–330. ISBN 978-0-495-81294-4. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017 . Retrieved August 20, 2020. a b c d e f g h Anderson DJ, Marathe J, Pudney J (June 2014). "The Structure of the Human Vaginal Stratum Corneum and its Role in Immune Defense". American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 71 (6): 618–623. doi: 10.1111/aji.12230. ISSN 1600-0897. PMC 4024347. PMID 24661416. a b Hales D (2012). An Invitation to Health (1sted.). Cengage Learning. pp.296–297. ISBN 978-1-111-82700-7. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019 . Retrieved January 16, 2018. During an episiotomy, a surgical incision is made during the second stage of labor to enlarge the vaginal opening for the baby to pass through. [44] [141] Although its routine use is no longer recommended, [172] and not having an episiotomy is found to have better results than an episiotomy, [44] it is one of the most common medical procedures performed on women. The incision is made through the skin, vaginal epithelium, subcutaneous fat, perineal body and superficial transverse perineal muscle and extends from the vagina to the anus. [173] [174] Episiotomies can be painful after delivery. Women often report pain during sexual intercourse up to three months after laceration repair or an episiotomy. [169] [170] Some surgical techniques result in less pain than others. [169] The two types of episiotomies performed are the medial incision and the medio-lateral incision. The median incision is a perpendicular cut between the vagina and the anus and is the most common. [44] [175] The medio-lateral incision is made between the vagina at an angle and is not as likely to tear through to the anus. The medio-lateral cut takes more time to heal than the median cut. [44]a b Wylie L (2005). Essential Anatomy and Physiology in Maternity Care. Elsevier Health Sciences. pp.157–158. ISBN 978-0-443-10041-3. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016 . Retrieved October 27, 2015. During childbirth, the vagina expands to allow the baby to pass through and provides pulsatile contractions to assist the downward passage of the baby. A healthy vagina of a woman of childbearing age is acidic with a pH range of 3.8 to 4.5 due to the degradation of glycogen to lactic acid by enzymes secreted by the Döderlein's bacillus, which is part of the normal flora of the vagina. The acidity functions to retard and prevent growth of various strains of pathogenic microbes. An increased acidity can be caused by bacterial overgrowth, as in bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, or the rupturing of membranes during pregnancy.

Photographer Laura Dodsworth shows what vulvas look like in Photographer Laura Dodsworth shows what vulvas look like in

a b Forbes, Helen; Watt, Elizabethl (2020). Jarvis's Health Assessment and Physical Examination (3ed.). Elsevier Health Sciences. p.834. ISBN 978-0-729-58793-8. Nerve endings in the vagina can provide pleasurable sensations when the vagina is stimulated during sexual activity. Women may derive pleasure from one part of the vagina, or from a feeling of closeness and fullness during vaginal penetration. [59] Because the vagina is not rich in nerve endings, women often do not receive sufficient sexual stimulation, or orgasm, solely from vaginal penetration. [59] [60] [61] Although the literature commonly cites a greater concentration of nerve endings and therefore greater sensitivity near the vaginal entrance (the outer one-third or lower third), [60] [61] [62] some scientific examinations of vaginal wall innervation indicate no single area with a greater density of nerve endings. [63] [64] Other research indicates that only some women have a greater density of nerve endings in the anterior vaginal wall. [63] [65] Because of the fewer nerve endings in the vagina, childbirth pain is significantly more tolerable. [61] [66] [67] Parasympathetic efferent fibers to the uterovaginal plexus originate from the pelvic splanchnic nerves (S2-S4) ( sacral outflow). Qaseem A, Humphrey LL, Harris R, Starkey M, Denberg TD (July 1, 2014). "Screening pelvic examination in adult women: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians". Annals of Internal Medicine. 161 (1): 67–72. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.691.4471. doi: 10.7326/M14-0701. PMID 24979451. [Free text]

a b c d e Greenberg JS, Bruess CE, Oswalt SB (2014). Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality. Jones & Bartlett Publishers. pp.102–104. ISBN 978-1-4496-4851-0. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015 . Retrieved October 27, 2015. a layer of lamina propria which is rich in elastic fibers and does not contain any secretory glands, Pregnancy Labor and Birth". Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. February 1, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017 . Retrieved July 15, 2017. a b Zimmern PE, Haab F, Chapple CR (2007). Vaginal Surgery for Incontinence and Prolapse. Springer Science & Business Media. p.6. ISBN 978-1-84628-346-8. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019 . Retrieved December 3, 2017. After menopause, the body produces less estrogen. This causes atrophic vaginitis (thinning and inflammation of the vaginal walls), [38] [149] which can lead to vaginal itching, burning, bleeding, soreness, or vaginal dryness (a decrease in lubrication). [150] Vaginal dryness can cause discomfort on its own or discomfort or pain during sexual intercourse. [150] [151] Hot flashes are also characteristic of menopause. [117] [152] Menopause also affects the composition of vaginal support structures. The vascular structures become fewer with advancing age. [153] Specific collagens become altered in composition and ratios. It is thought that the weakening of the support structures of the vagina is due to the physiological changes in this connective tissue. [154]

Vaginal Self-Exam: What Does a Healthy Vagina Look Like? - WebMD

a b Ginger VA, Yang CC (2011). "Functional Anatomy of the Female Sex Organs". In Mulhall JP, Incrocci L, Goldstein I, Rosen R (eds.). Cancer and Sexual Health. Springer. pp.13, 20–21. ISBN 978-1-60761-915-4. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019 . Retrieved August 20, 2020.During the third stage of labor, while the infant is being born, the vagina undergoes significant changes. A gush of blood from the vagina may be seen right before the baby is born. Lacerations to the vagina that can occur during birth vary in depth, severity and the amount of adjacent tissue involvement. [4] [167] The laceration can be so extensive as to involve the rectum and anus. This event can be especially distressing to a new mother. [167] [168] When this occurs, fecal incontinence develops and stool can leave through the vagina. [167] Close to 85% of spontaneous vaginal births develop some form of tearing. Out of these, 60–70% require suturing. [169] [170] Lacerations from labor do not always occur. [44] Surgery Hutchison, Julia; Mahdy, Heba; Hutchison, Justin (2022). Stages of Labor. StatPearls Publishing. PMID 31335010. Ransons A (May 15, 2009). "Reproductive Choices". Health and Wellness for Life. Human Kinetics 10%. p.221. ISBN 978-0-7360-6850-5. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016 . Retrieved October 27, 2015. Wiederman MW, Whitley BE Jr (2012). Handbook for Conducting Research on Human Sexuality. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-1-135-66340-7. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019 . Retrieved June 8, 2018. The vagina tilts posteriorly between the urethra and rectum, with the urethra bound to its anterior wall. If standing, the vaginal tube will point in a superoposterior direction to form a 45 degree angle with the uterus and an about 60 degree angle to the horizontal. However, the exact angle is variable depending on individual anatomy and with contents of the bladder and colon. Due to this tilting, the posterior wall of the vagina (8 to 10 centimeters (3 to 4 inches)) is longer than its anterior wall (7.5 centimeters (2.5 to 3 inches)).

Is My Vagina Normal? – Cleveland Clinic Is My Vagina Normal? – Cleveland Clinic

Lipsky MS (2006). American Medical Association Concise Medical Encyclopedia. Random House Reference. p.96. ISBN 978-0-375-72180-9. Archived from the original on June 3, 2021 . Retrieved October 27, 2015. Sherwood L (2013). Human Physiology: From Cells to Systems (8thed.). Belmont, California: Cengage. pp.735–794. ISBN 978-1-111-57743-8. Schuenke M, Schulte E, Schumacher U (2010). General Anatomy and Musculoskeletal System. Thieme Medical Publishers. p.192. ISBN 978-1-60406-287-8. Archived from the original on July 23, 2014 . Retrieved October 27, 2015. a b c Robboy S, Kurita T, Baskin L, Cunha GR (2017). "New insights into human female reproductive tract development". Differentiation. 97: 9–22. doi: 10.1016/j.diff.2017.08.002. PMC 5712241. PMID 28918284.See also: Vaginal support structures Pelvic anatomy including organs of the female reproductive system a b c d e f g Dalton M (2014). Forensic Gynaecology. Cambridge University Press. p.65. ISBN 978-1-107-06429-4. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020 . Retrieved October 27, 2015. Most women require direct stimulation of the clitoris to orgasm. [60] [61] The clitoris plays a part in vaginal stimulation. It is a sex organ of multiplanar structure containing an abundance of nerve endings, with a broad attachment to the pubic arch and extensive supporting tissue to the labia. Research indicates that it forms a tissue cluster with the vagina. This tissue is perhaps more extensive in some women than in others, which may contribute to orgasms experienced vaginally. [60] [78] [79]