About Vagina

The vagina is an elastic, muscular canal with a soft, flexible lining that provides lubrication and
sensation. The vagina connects the uterus to the outside world. The vulva and labia form the
entrance, and the cervix of the uterus protrudes into the vagina, forming the interior end.
The vagina receives the penis during sexual intercourse and also serves as a conduit for
menstrual flow from the uterus. During childbirth, the baby passes through the vagina (birth
canal).
The hymen is a thin membrane of tissue that surrounds and narrows the vaginal opening. It may
be torn or ruptured by sexual activity or by exercise.
Vagina Conditions
Vaginitis: Inflammation of the vagina, commonly from a yeast infection or bacterial
overgrowth. Itching, discharge, and change of odor are typical symptoms.
Vaginismus: Involuntary spasm of the vaginal muscles during sexual intercourse.
Emotional distress about sex, or medical conditions, can be responsible.
Vaginal warts: Genital warts may affect the vulva or the vagina. Treatments can remove
vaginal warts, which are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).
Trichomoniasis: Infection of the vagina by a microscopic parasite called trichomonas.
Trichomoniasis is transmitted by sex and is easily curable.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV): A disruption in the balance of healthy bacteria in the vagina,
often causing odor and discharge. Douching, or sex with a new partner, seem to cause
BV.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV): The herpes virus can infect the vagina, causing small,
painful, recurring blisters and ulcers. Having no noticeable symptoms is also common.
Gonorrhea: This sexually transmitted bacterial infection most often infects the cervix.
Half the time, there are no symptoms, but vaginal discharge and itching may occur.
Chlamydia: The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis causes this sexually transmitted
infection. Only half of women will have symptoms, which may include vaginal discharge
or pain in the vagina or abdomen.
Vaginal cancer: Cancer of the vagina is extremely rare. Abnormal vaginal bleeding or
discharge are symptoms.
Vaginal prolapse: Due to weakened pelvic muscles (usually from childbirth), the rectum,
uterus or bladder pushes on the vagina. In severe cases, the vagina protrudes out of the
body.
Vagina Tests
Pelvic examination: Using a speculum, a doctor can examine the vulva, vagina, and
cervix. The strength of the pelvic muscles can also be tested.
Papanicolaou smear (Pap smear): During a pelvic exam, the examiner swabs the cervix
and vagina. Pap smears screen for cervical or vaginal cancer.
Bacterial culture: A swab of the cervix and vagina from a pelvic exam may be cultured in
a lab. This can identify bacterial infections.
Colposcopy: A microscope is used during a pelvic exam to examine closely the vulva,
vagina, and cervix. Colposcopy can help identify cancer or other problems.
Vaginal biopsy: In the rare case of a suspicious growth in the vagina, a small piece of
tissue (biopsy) may be sent to check for cancer.
Antimicrobials: Antifungal medications can treat yeast infections, and antibiotic drugs
can treat bacterial infections. Antiviral medicines treat infections from the herpes virus.
Wart treatments: A variety of methods can be used to remove vaginal warts, including
freezing, chemicals, burning with a laser, or electricity.
Vaginal pessary: A small device is placed inside the vagina to keep in place prolapsing
pelvic organs.
Kegel exercises: Exercising the pelvic muscles (as when stopping your urine stream) may
improve or prevent vaginal prolapse.
Estrogen: The genital organs of women both inside and out respond to estrogen. Estrogen
treatment may be useful to revitalize these structures in postmenopausal women.
Surgery: In rare cases of vaginal cancer, surgery is required to remove the tumor. Surgery
may also treat vaginal prolapse.

Vagina
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This article is about the body part. For other uses, see Vagina (disambiguation).
Vagina

Vagina in the female human reproductive system.

Vulva with vaginal opening
Latin "sheath" or "scabbard"
Gray's subject #269 1264
Artery
superior part to uterine artery, middle
and inferior parts to vaginal artery
Vein uterovaginal venous plexus, vaginal vein
Nerve
Sympathetic: lumbar splanchnic plexus
Parasympathetic: pelvic splanchnic plexus
Lymph
upper part to internal iliac lymph nodes,
lower part to superficial inguinal lymph
nodes
Precursor
urogenital sinus and paramesonephric
ducts
MeSH Vagina
Dorlands/Elsevier Vagina
The vagina (from Latin vgna, literally "sheath" or "scabbard") is a fibromuscular tubular tract
which is a sex organ and has two main functions; sexual intercourse and childbirth. In humans,
this passage leads from the opening of the vulva to the uterus (womb), but the vaginal tract ends
at the cervix. Unlike men, who have only one genital orifice, women have two, the urethra and
the vagina. The vaginal opening is much larger than the urethral opening, and both openings are
protected by the labia.
[1][2]
The inner mould of the vagina has a foldy texture which can create
friction for the penis during intercourse. During arousal, the vagina gets moist to facilitate the
entrance of the penis.
[3]

The Latinate plural "vaginae" is rarely used in English. The word vagina is often used
colloquially to refer to the vulva or to the female genitals in general; technically, the vagina is the
specific internal structure.

Location and structure


Organs of the female reproductive system, with vagina seen in center.


Vagina exposed by anatomical dissection.
The human vagina is an elastic muscular canal that extends from the cervix to the vulva.
[4]
It
consists of three layers of tissue: the mucosa is the layer on the surface that can be touched,
which consists of mucous membranes and is a surface similar to the lining of the mouth.
[5]

Although there is wide anatomical variation, the length of the unaroused vagina of a woman of
child-bearing age is approximately 6 to 7.5 cm (2.5 to 3 in) across the anterior wall (front), and
9 cm (3.5 in) long across the posterior wall (rear).
[6]
During sexual arousal the vagina expands in
both length and width.
[7]
Its elasticity allows it to stretch during sexual intercourse and during
birth to offspring.
[8]
The vagina connects the superficial vulva to the cervix of the deep uterus.
If the woman stands upright, the vaginal tube points in an upward-backward direction and forms
an angle of slightly more than 45 degrees with the uterus. The vaginal opening is at the caudal
end of the vulva, behind the opening of the urethra. The upper one-fourth of the vagina is
separated from the rectum by the recto-uterine pouch. Above the vagina is the Mons pubis. The
vagina, along with the inside of the vulva, is reddish pink in color, as are most healthy internal
mucous membranes in mammals. A series of ridges produced by folding of the wall of the outer
third of the vagina is called the vaginal rugae. They are transverse epithelial ridges and their
function is to provide the vagina with increased surface area for extension and stretching.
Vaginal lubrication is provided by the Bartholin's glands near the vaginal opening and the cervix.
The membrane of the vaginal wall also produces moisture, although it does not contain any
glands. Before and during ovulation, the cervix's mucus glands secretes different variations of
mucus, which provides an alkaline environment in the vaginal canal that is favorable to the
survival of sperm. "Vaginal lubrication typically decreases as women age, but this is a natural
physical change that does not normally mean there is any physical or psychological problem.
After menopause, the body produces less estrogen, which, unless compensated for with estrogen
replacement therapy, causes the vaginal walls to thin out significantly."
[5]

The hymen is a membrane of tissue that surrounds or partially covers the external vaginal
opening. The tissue may or may not be ruptured by vaginal penetration. It can also be ruptured
by delivery, a pelvic examination, injury, or sports. The absence of a hymen may not indicate
prior sexual activity.
[9]
Similarly, its presence may not indicate a lack of prior sexual activity.
Function
The vagina has several biological functions.
Sexual activity
Further information: Human sexual activity and Human female sexuality
The concentration of the nerve endings that lie close to the entrance of a woman's vagina (the
lower third) can provide pleasurable sensation during sexual activity when stimulated in a way
that the particular woman enjoys. However, the vagina as a whole has insufficient nerve endings
for sexual stimulation and orgasm,
[5][10][11]
which is considered to make the process of child birth
significantly less painful.
[10]
"The outer one-third of the vagina, especially near the opening,
contains nearly 90 percent of the vaginal nerve endings and therefore is much more sensitive to
touch than the inner two-thirds of the vaginal barrel."
[5]

Research has found that clitoral tissue extends considerably into the vulva and vagina.
[12][13]

During sexual arousal, and particularly the stimulation of the clitoris, the walls of the vagina self-
lubricate. This reduces friction that can be caused by various sexual activities.
[5]
With arousal,
the vagina lengthens rapidly,
[5][7]
to an average of about 4 in.(10 cm), but can continue to
lengthen in response to pressure.
[14]
As the woman becomes fully aroused, the vagina tents (last
) expands in length and width, while the cervix retracts.
[15]
The walls of the vagina are
composed of soft elastic folds of mucous membrane which stretch or contract (with support from
pelvic muscles) to the size of the inserted penis or other object,
[5]
stimulating the penis and
helping to cause the male to experience orgasm and ejaculation, thus enabling fertilization.


Structure of the wall of vagina
An erogenous zone commonly referred to as the G-Spot (also known as the Grfenberg Spot) is
typically defined as being located at the anterior wall of the vagina, about five centimeters in
from the entrance. Some women experience intense pleasure if the G-Spot is stimulated
appropriately during sexual activity. A G-Spot orgasm may be responsible for female
ejaculation, leading some doctors and researchers to believe that G-Spot pleasure comes from the
Skene's glands, a female homologue of the prostate, rather than any particular spot on the vaginal
wall.
[16][17][18]
Other researchers consider the connection between the Skene's glands and the G-
Spot to be weak.
[19][20][21]
They contend that the Skene's glands do not appear to have receptors
for touch stimulation, and that there is no direct evidence for their involvement.
[21]

The G-Spot's existence, and existence as a distinct structure, is still under dispute, as its location
can vary from woman to woman and appears to be nonexistent in some women,
[13][19][22][23]
and it
is hypothesized to be an extension of the clitoris.
[12][13][24]

Childbirth
During childbirth, the vagina provides the channel to deliver the infant from the uterus to its
independent life outside the body of the mother. During birth, the elasticity of the vagina allows
it to stretch to many times its normal diameter. The vagina is often typically referred to as the
birth canal in the context of pregnancy and childbirth, though the term is, by definition, the area
between the outside of the vagina and the fully dilated uterus.
[25]

Uterine secretions
The vagina provides a path for menstrual blood and tissue to leave the body. In industrial
societies, tampons, menstrual cups and sanitary napkins may be used to absorb or capture these
fluids.
Clinical relevance


An ultrasound showing the urinary bladder (1), uterus (2), and vagina (3)
Main article: Vulvovaginal health
The vagina is self-cleansing and therefore usually needs no special treatment. Doctors generally
discourage the practice of douching.
[26]
Since a healthy vagina is colonized by a mutually
symbiotic flora of microorganisms that protect its host from disease-causing microbes, any
attempt to upset this balance may cause many undesirable outcomes, including but not limited to
abnormal discharge and yeast infection. The acidity of a healthy vagina of a woman of child-
bearing age (a pH of around 4.5) is due to the degradation of glycogen to the lactic acid by
enzymes secreted by the Dderlein's bacillus. This is a normal commensal of the vagina. The
acidity retards the growth of many strains of dangerous microbes.
[27]

The vagina is examined during gynecological exams, often using a speculum, which holds the
vagina open for visual inspection of the cervix or taking of samples (see pap smear). Medical
activities involving the vagina, including examinations, administration of medicine, and
inspection of discharges, are also referred to as being per vaginam (or p.v.).
[28]

Vaginismus
Main article: Vaginismus
Vaginismus, not to be confused with Vaginitis, refers to an involuntary tightening of the vagina,
due to a conditioned reflex of the muscles in the area. It can affect any form of vaginal
penetration, including sexual intercourse, insertion of tampons and menstrual cups, and the
penetration involved in gynecological examinations. Various psychological and physical
treatments are possible to help alleviate it.
Signs of disease
Vaginal diseases present with lumps, discharge and sores.
Lumps
The presence of unusual lumps in the wall or base of the vagina is always abnormal. The most
common of these is Bartholin's cyst.
[29]
The cyst, which can feel like a pea, is formed by a
blockage in glands which normally supply the opening of the vagina. This condition is easily
treated with minor surgery or silver nitrate. Other less common causes of small lumps or vesicles
are herpes simplex. They are usually multiple and very painful with a clear fluid leaving a crust.
They may be associated with generalized swelling and are very tender. Lumps associated with
cancer of the vaginal wall are very rare and the average age of onset is seventy years.
[30]
The
most common form is squamous cell carcinoma, then cancer of the glands or adenocarcinoma
and finally, and even more rarely, melanoma.
Discharge
The great majority of vaginal discharges are normal or physiological and include blood or
menses (from the uterus), the most common, and clear fluid either as a result of sexual arousal or
secretions from the cervix. Other non infective causes include dermatitis, discharge from foreign
bodies such as retained tampons or foreign bodies inserted by curious female children into their
own vaginas. Non-sexually transmitted discharges occur from bacterial vaginosis and thrush or
candidiasis. The final group of discharges include the sexually transmitted diseases gonorrhea,
chlamydia and trichomoniasis. The discharge from thrush is slightly pungent and white, that
from trichomoniasis more foul and greenish, and that from foreign bodies resembling the
discharge of gonorrhea, greyish or yellow and purulent (like pus).
[31]

Sores
All sores involve a breakdown in the walls of the fine membrane of the vaginal wall. The most
common of these are abrasions and small ulcers caused by trauma. While these can be inflicted
during rape most are actually caused by excessive rubbing from clothing or improper insertion of
a sanitary tampon. The typical ulcer or sore caused by syphilis is painless with raised edges.
These are often undetected because they occur mostly inside the vagina. The sores of herpes
which occur with vesicles are extremely tender and may cause such swelling that passing urine is
difficult. In the developing world a group of parasitic diseases also cause vaginal ulceration such
as Leishmaniasis but these are rarely encountered in the west. HIV/AIDS can be contracted
through the vagina during intercourse but is not associated with any local vaginal or vulval
disease.
[32]
All the above local vulvovaginal diseases are easily treated. Often only shame
prevents patients from presenting for treatment.
[33]

Route of administration
Intravaginal administration is a route of administration where the substance is applicated inside
the vagina. Pharmacologically, it has the potential advantage to result in effects primarily in the
vagina or nearby structures (such as the vaginal portion of cervix) with limited systemic adverse
effects compared to other routes of administration.

Vagina
The vagina is the female reproductive organ. It is an elastic and muscular canal that has a soft
and flexible lining. This lining provides the lubrication and the sensations during sexual
intercourse. The vagina is made up of many parts and has many functions such as childbirth, and
is also used for recreational purposes such as intercourse.
These are the parts of the vagina:
External Parts of the Vagina:
Labia Majora
This is the part of the external vagina that encloses and protects the other external parts, and is
often referred to as the large lips. This part varies in size, but it is generally large, fleshy and
contains sweat and oil-secreting glands, making it the female version of the scrotum of the male
penis. This is the part that gets covered by hair when females reach puberty.
Labia Minora
This is the part of the vagina that looks like a smaller version of the Labia Majora; hence, the
nickname small lips. This part surrounds the opening of the vagina and the urethra.
Bartholins Glands
This is the gland that is located beside the vaginas opening and produces a fluid secretion during
intercourse.
Clitoris
The clitoris is the only part of the vagina that is made purely for pleasure. It is a clump of
thousands of nerve fibers, and it is twice than those found in the penis.
The internal parts of the vagina:
The vagina
The term vagina itself, aside from what you call the collection of all of these parts, is what you
call the opening of the canal that joins the cervix to the outside of the body. This is what is
referred to as the birth canal, because this is the canal through which babies being born the
natural way will pass through.
Uterus
Also called the womb, the uterus is a pear-shaped and hollow organ that is used to house the
baby of a pregnant woman. It has two pairs: the cervix, which opens up to the vaginal canal; and
the corpus, which is the part that holds the baby. This acts as the first home that the baby inside a
pregnant woman will ever have, meaning that every single one of us came from somebodys
uterus.
Ovaries
The ovaries are oval-shaped glands that are located on both sides of the uterus. This is the gland
that is responsible for producing egg cells and female hormones.
Fallopian tubes
The fallopian tubes are two tubes that are attached to the uterus and are the tunnels through
which the egg cells travel through from the ovaries to the uterus. This is where conception of a
baby usually occurs.
The vagina is a beautiful and essential part of the human race. If the vagina did not exist, there
would be no human race, because there is no way to conceive a child without this. Countries
where sexual discrimination is still very apparent have made it a point to deny their women the
knowledge that the fact that they have a vagina actually makes them a very important part of
society.

The Vagina
The vagina (Fig. 1166) extends from the vestibule to the uterus, and is
situated behind the bladder and in front of the rectum; it is directed
upward and backward, its axis forming with that of the uterus an angle of
over 90, opening forward. Its walls are ordinarily in contact, and the usual
shape of its lower part on transverse section is that of an H, the transverse
limb being slightly curved forward or backward, while the lateral limbs are
somewhat convex toward the median line; its middle part has the
appearance of a transverse slit. Its length is 6 to 7.5 cm. along its anterior
wall, and 9 cm. along its posterior wall. It is constricted at its
commencement, dilated in the middle, and narrowed near its uterine
extremity; it surrounds the vaginal portion of the cervix uteri, a short
distance from the external orifice of the uterus, its attachment extending
higher up on the posterior than on the anterior wall of the uterus. To the
recess behind the cervix the term posterior fornix is applied, while the
smaller recesses in front and at the sides are called the anterior and lateral
fornices.

Relations.The anterior surface of the vagina is in relation with the
fundus of the bladder, and with the urethra. Its posterior surface is
separated from the rectum by the rectouterine excavation in its upper
fourth, and by the rectovesical fascia in its middle two-fourths; the lower
fourth is separated from the anal canal by the perineal body. Its sides are
enclosed between the Levatores ani muscles. As the terminal portions of
the ureters pass forward and medialward to reach the fundus of the
bladder, they run close to the lateral fornices of the vagina, and as they
enter the bladder are slightly in front of the anterior fornix.

Structure.The vagina consists of an internal mucous lining and a
muscular coat separated by a layer of erectile tissue.
The mucous membrane (tunica mucosa) is continuous above with that
lining the uterus. Its inner surface presents two longitudinal ridges, one on
its anterior and one on its posterior wall. These ridges are called the
columns of the vagina and from them numerous transverse ridges or rug
extend outward on either side. These rug are divided by furrows of
variable depth, giving to the mucous membrane the appearance of being
studded over with conical projections or papill; they are most numerous
near the orifice of the vagina, especially before parturition. The epithelium
covering the mucous membrane is of the stratified squamous variety. The
submucous tissue is very loose, and contains numerous large veins which
by their anastomoses form a plexus, together with smooth muscular fibers
derived from the muscular coat; it is regarded by Gussenbauer as an
erectile tissue. It contains a number of mucous crypts, but no true glands.
The muscular coat (tunica muscularis) consists of two layers: an external
longitudinal, which is by far the stronger, and an internal circular layer. The
longitudinal fibers are continuous with the superficial muscular fibers of
the uterus. The strongest fasciculi are those attached to the rectovesical
fascia on either side. The two layers are not distinctly separable from each
other, but are connected by oblique decussating fasciculi, which pass from
the one layer to the other. In addition to this, the vagina at its lower end is
surrounded by a band of striped muscular fibers, the Bulbocavernosus (see
page 430).
External to the muscular coat is a layer of connective tissue, containing a
large plexus of bloodvessels.
The erectile tissue consists of a layer of loose connective tissue, situated
between the mucous membrane and the muscular coat; imbedded in it is a
plexus of large veins, and numerous bundles of unstriped muscular fibers,
derived from the circular muscular layer. The arrangement of the veins is
similar to that found in other erectile tissues.