Jones explains, "No vagina is the same, and vaginas are special, as there is no other organ that does what it does." So unless you notice a specific spot on your labia that's different in color from the surrounding skin, like a mole or swollen bump, then chances are your vulva is totally normal - special, even! 5. The labia majora (outer lips) and labia minora (inner lips) look different on all types of bodies, and normal labia color ranges from pink to red to brown to purplish.Īs Dr. Like snowflakes, no two vulvas are the same, and though many people worry that their vulvas don't look "normal," there's really no such thing. Everything you can see - including the clitoris, urethra, labia, and pubis - is part of the vulva. Mary Jane Minkin, OB/GYN at Yale-New Haven Hospital and clinical professor at Yale University School of Medicine, explains to Woman's Day, the vagina is like a "tube" that extends from your cervix to your hymen. A lot of folks aren’t aware of their basic anatomy and tend to use the terms synonymously."Īs Dr. Many people use the term “vagina” in reference to all parts of the female genitalia, including both the internal and external components, but that's actually not accurate. Your vagina and your vulva are not the same thing. "These changes, which are often related to decreasing levels of estrogen, do not affect how much pleasure your parts can bring you," Rankin adds. Should you be concerned if the color or appearance of your vulva changes over time? Nope - it's totally normal. "The skin of the vulva may darken or lighten and the clitoris may shrink. "The labia may become less plump as estrogen levels wane, fatty pads in the labia shrink, and less collagen can lead to more sagging," Lissa Rankin, MD, gynecologist and author of What's Up Down There?: Questions You'd Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend, tells Woman's Day. Yes, the appearance of your private parts may change with age. Just like your face, your vagina also wrinkles with age. "If this happens, your healthcare provider should be able to remove it easily with a speculum and forceps," she says. However, Sterns says that sometimes a tampon can get lodged deep inside the vagina, like if it's accidentally left in place during intercourse. In other words, your vagina is not connected to another area of your body, so don't worry about anything going missing. "The vagina is bounded at the inner end by the cervix and by the vagina's own tissue," nurse practitioner and Coalition to Expand Contraceptive Access deputy director Lisa Stern, RN, MSN, MA, tells Woman's Day. You can't really "lose" something in your vagina, like a tampon.Įveryone's heard the myth that things can go missing in there. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play 1. Not sure what you can expect to happen to your vagina size after childbirth? Curious to know what happens to your vagina during intercourse? Worried that menopause means the end of your sex life? Read on to find out surprising facts that you may not know about the vagina. They don't require much help to maintain their delicate microbiome, but there are still a few basic facts about the vagina that should be made common knowledge. The walls of the vagina are lined with mucous membranes, which keep it protected and moist, and contrary to popular belief, vaginas are mostly able to take care of themselves. Because it has muscular walls, the vagina can expand and contract, allowing it to accommodate anything from a tampon, to a finger, to a penis, to a baby. Instead, the vagina is a muscular, hollow organ that extends from the vaginal opening to the uterus. For instance, "vagina" is not an all-encompassing term for everything between your legs, despite what you may have been told. From how it looks, to how it smells, to how it functions, there are a few essential vagina facts that every person (whether they have a vagina or not) should know, especially if you've been too shy to ask or don't know where to look for information. A healthy vagina is a happy vagina, and maintaining good vulva and vaginal health is easier than you think - that is, as long as you know what's going on down there.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |