21 Things About Vagina You Should Definitely Know!
Would you like to get to know your vagina better? If yes, keep reading this post.
Warning: This post includes NSFW visuals.
1. The clitoris is not a button.
When most people think of the clitoris, they think of the small visible part. But research indicates that it actually has branches that extend down underneath the skin, along either side of the vulva, kind of in a wishbone shape.
2. When you say vagina, you probably actually mean vulva.
The vulva refers to the outside, visible parts of your genitalia. It encompasses basically everything you can see — the labia, the clitoris, the urethra, the vaginal opening, and so on — and it’s usually what most people mean when they say “vagina.” The vagina, on the other hand, is the muscular passageway that connects the vulva to the cervix.
3. Vaginas (and vulvas) come in lots of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
There’s a good deal of variation from person to person, and there’s no such thing as a “standard” vulva.
4. When aroused, the vagina can expand to around twice its normal size.
Unaroused, the average vagina is about three to four inches deep. But during sex it can expand to about twice as big.
5. Not all women are born with hymens.
And for those who do have hymens, they range in thickness and amount of coverage. What this means: You can’t actually tell if someone is a virgin or not by doing a “hymen check,” considering some hymens can still be strong and quite evident even after childbirth.
6. Your vagina won’t be noticeably different after you have babies.
There is actually no statistical difference in average recorded vaginal size between women who’ve had babies and women who haven’t, according to fairly groundbreaking research published in 1996.
7. The G-spot maybe doesn’t actually exist.
At least not in the sense that there is a button in your vagina that when pressed = orgasm. It’s a bit more complex than that (surprise!).
New researches are pointing to the idea that instead of there being a particular spot or button that causes orgasms, the clitoris, urethra, and front side of the vaginal wall all work together as a “clitourethrovaginal complex.” When all three are stimulated just right, it can result in what some people refer to as a vaginal orgasm. So you may stop searching for a specific point.
8. Feeling like you have to pee during sex, even though you just went? That’s normal.
About that clitourethrovaginal complex… Sometimes your partner might be stimulating your urethra (or even bladder) during sex, which can potentially make you feel like you’ve gotta pee. There’s also a thing called nerve cross-talk, which is where so much is going on down there that your nerves can become confused about what exactly it is they’re experiencing.
9. Your birth control pill can impact how wet you’re able to get.
So can breastfeeding and menopause. That’s because your vagina’s ability to lubricate is partially tied to estrogen levels. The lower your estrogen levels, the harder it is to get wet naturally. Don't worry, cause you may always use some lube to make sex more pleasurable for you.
10. Roughly 16% of women say they’ve never had an orgasm during intercourse.
And from the same study, about 20 to 30% of women say they only reached orgasm during sex about one in four times…or fewer.
11. About 30% of women felt some pain during their most recent sexual experience.
There are some women who experience chronic pain from sex, like those who suffer from a condition called vulvodynia. But it is also incredibly common for women to occasionally and unpredictably feel pain while having sex — like if your partner rams your cervix, or if the fit is too tight, or you aren’t quite lubricated enough. The good news is that most of these reasons are preventable.
12. Lesbians report having more orgasms than straight or bisexual women.
According to a recent survey published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
13. Condoms don’t actually make sex worse or less pleasurable.
Women are just as likely to report having orgasms when their partner uses a condom as when he goes without, according to a research conducted by experts at Indiana University.
14. The older you are, the less likely you are to remove your pubic hair.
In a 2010 study of 2,451 women, researchers found that age was a major predictor of how much pubic hair women removed. According to this study, there are three age groups sorted by the most popular pube stats:
18 to 24-year-old: Totally hair-free
25 to 49-year-old: Some removal, not total
Over 50: No hair removal at all
15. There is not really a “normal” amount of discharge to have.
Vaginal discharge amounts vary from person to person, and what’s normal for you might not be normal for your friend. Also, your discharge amount can change depending on what time of the month it is, if you have an infection, and if you’re on birth control. It also changes in consistency, color, and smell, depending on all of these things.
16. You really shouldn’t douche.
Your vagina is actually self-cleaning. Douching can strip your vagina of its natural flora, leaving you more prone to infection.
17. Condoms will protect you against some STDs… but not all of them.
Herpes and HPV can be spread from skin-to-skin contact, so it’s still possible to contract either of these viruses even if you’re incredibly diligent about condom usage.
18. Most women will be exposed to HPV in their lifetime, but may not know about it for years (or ever).
Certain strains of HPV can cause cervical cancer or genital warts, and if you have an irregular pap smear or test positive for HPV, your doctor should work with you to create an individualized plan of care. HPV is incredibly common, and most people who are exposed to it never develop any symptoms or health complications because of it. In fact, about 9 out of 10 cases of HPV typically go away on their own within two years.
19. You shouldn’t have penetrative sex for about six weeks after you give birth.
Whether you’ve had a vaginal birth or a C-section, there are a few reasons for it — most related to needing time to heal and avoiding infection.
20. When something gets stuck in your vagina...
Most common are condoms and tampons, which can be tough to retrieve on your own. If this happens to you, and you can’t get… whatever it is… out by yourself, you can absolutely go to the doctor to get it out for you
21. …but you can’t actually lose something in there!
The cervical wall will block anything sizeable from migrating into your body. So don't worry, it’s not going anywhere.
Bonus - Beware of yeast infections!
So many things can give you yeast infections: Sitting in a wet bathing suit or sweaty workout underwear. Drinking a lot of alcohol, or eating a ton of sugar. And being on antibiotics, because they can kill off all the good bacteria in your vagina and cause an imbalance that is hospitable to the fungus. Good news is eating yogurt with live cultures in it may help restore that balance.
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