The ins and outs of the vagina

Lady garden, women's bits, down there, girly parts... velvet glove. Let's stick with 'vagina'.

Shockingly, a 2014 survey by The Eve Appeal found two-thirds of women were unable to identify the parts of the vulva, but 60 percent could correctly label a diagram of male anatomy! There’s plenty about this vital piece of reproductive machinery shrouded in mystery but no more: here’s everything you need to know about the vagina.

Let's get specific

While many people use vagina to refer to the whole downstairs area, both inside and out, the vagina is actually just the muscular canal connecting the uterus, via the cervix, to the outside of the body. All the external parts are the vulva, including the labia majora, labia minora, and the clitoris. The vagina is a potential space, meaning it’s not open all the time but can stretch and widen during sex or childbirth. You’re not walking around with an open hole in your body, rather the walls are collapsed on each other and widen when needed. It’s around 10cm long and can stretch another 5cm during sex. And having a baby—or lots of partners—certainly won’t ruin it. The vagina can stretch enough to allow a baby through and can also snap back into shape. It’s incredibly resilient.

Am I normal?

Yep. Every vulva looks different and variations in what’s normal range from the size of the clitoris, to the length and thickness of the labia. If you’re one of the 15 percent of women who’ve never taken a good look with a mirror, it’s time to change that. Get well acquainted with how you look, feel and smell and you’ll be better able to notice when things change. Besides, research shows the more comfortable you are with yourself, the more sexually satisfied you’ll be. Doctors won’t consider anything to be abnormal unless you’re experiencing trouble with chafing, infection or inserting a tampon. At the same time, how you choose to decorate is completely personal. Waxing, shaving, trimming, piercing, tattooing, going au natural: this is your choice.

Name-calling

There are hundreds of different slang words for it, from the hilarious to the crude to the obscene, but the word ‘vagina’ wasn’t used until 1682. Before then, the most common term was the most obscene we have today, but even that word only became a swear word 100 years ago. Let’s just stick with ‘vagina’. Believe it or not, the first film to use the word ‘vagina’ was Disney’s ‘The Story of Menstruation’ released in 1946.

Cleaning

As obsessed as our culture seems to be with making cleaning products for the vulva and vagina, you really don’t need anything other than water and a mild soap. You definitely shouldn’t be putting anything inside to clean up there: no douching, no scrubbing and no scented products. There’s a very delicate ecosystem of yeast and bacteria in the vagina which is supposed to be there and supposed to be in balance. Douching disturbs the balance and the natural acidity which puts you at risk of infections including pelvic inflammatory disease as well as irritation. There are glands in the vagina that secrete discharge to keep it clean so just leave it alone. Some odour down there is perfectly normal and your personal scent is unique, varying according to your menstrual cycle, diet and hydration levels. It’s not supposed to smell like roses but if there is anything unusual or foul, you need to see a doctor. Scented soap is not the answer and neither are vaginal steams as popularised by Gwyneth Paltrow. All these cleaning products not only perpetuate the myth that vaginas are dirty (which is just wrong), but they can also cause health problems. Seriously, just leave it alone.

Let it breathe

A moist and warm environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria beyond the beneficial microbes you want in there. Stick to cotton underwear for best breathability. If you are itching a bit, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve got a yeast infection. Get yourself checked out as the wrong medication can easily make things worse—and you can’t use yoghurt to cure a yeast infection. Putting a little natural (plain and unsweetened!) yoghurt on the itchy areas may relieve the itch but it’s not going to treat the actual infection. See a doctor.

Discharge

There is no normal amount of discharge: some people have lots, some people have very little. In the middle of your menstrual cycle, secretion increases and it’s generally clear and stretchy. At other times of the month, it may be thicker and whiter. It’s nothing to worry about unless it’s clumpy, grey, yellow, or green.

Peeing

At the risk of patronising, there are three separate holes down there—remember the two-thirds of women who couldn’t label their own genitals? In women, the urethra, vagina and anus are all in close proximity; intercourse can cause bacteria to make its way into the bladder, where it can give you a urinary tract infection. Urinating after sex can help cleanse the urethra and while it’s not the most sexy of activities, it’s a whole lot sexier than a UTI. Some theories suggest the female orgasm can make you feel the need to urinate to help facilitate this!

Getting better with age

As with all things, your vagina changes with age. In your 20s, your labia may shrink and become thinner as subcutaneous fat decreases with age. In your 30s, hormone shifts may cause the vulva to darken in colour. In your 40s, lower oestrogen levels may change the pH balance, causing inflammation and thinning and drying. It’s not all bad though. The old adage ‘use it or lose it’ applies here too: women who have sex on a regular basis help keep their vagina in good shape longer—good shape for penetrative sex, that is. If you’re an older woman who enjoys sex, continue to have it regularly; if you don’t enjoy sex, don’t worry: your vagina is just as healthy and won’t benefit from forcing it. In 1998, the US National Council on the Aging found 70 percent of sexually active women over the age of 60 said they were as satisfied, or even more satisfied, with their sex lives as they were in their 40s. So, while your 20s and 30s may be your prime years, the best may well be yet to come. ■