9 Incredible Facts About The Vagina That Everyone Should Know

October 28, 2023

It is important to take care of the vagina and understand what cleaning routines may be causing more harm than good. The word vagina can make a situation awkward, and there are even some individuals who have been banned from areas for speaking such a word. Walt Disney is known for his family friendly movies, but did you know he created a film that involved the vagina? Even the shark has a role in the history of the vagina. Here are nine facts about the vagina that everyone should know about.

Nerve Endings Galore

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The vagina is a very delicate area of a woman’s body, with some parts being much more sensitive than others. The area referred to as the vagina is describing the interior area of the privates. Components of the vaginal area include the uterus, ovaries, cervix and fallopian tubes. The inner and outer flaps of skin commonly called the labia form the area known as the vulva. The vulva also contains the urethra, clitoral hood, and clitoris. A woman’s clitoris plays an essential role in providing pleasure during intercourse. The clitoris is home to eight thousand nerve-endings. That sounds like a lot when comparing it to the glans of a penis, which contains only thirty-five hundred.

Going The Distance

Photo Credit: Vagifirm

Just as every woman is different, so is every vagina. The average size of a vagina is approximately three inches in width and three and a half inches in depth. A vagina can be expanded up to two hundred percent of its original shape which is necessary for the delivery of a baby. Though it is not exactly the way it was before pregnancy, the vagina returns to its initial shape after a baby is born. Several factors are known to prevent the vagina’s natural ability to retain its original shape such as weight, age, and even smoking. All of which can result in a not so pleasant or saggy vagina.

Vaginas And Sharks

Photo Credit: BBC.

As if the jokes about sharks and a woman's menstrual cycle were not enough, here is another reason to bring up the shark scenario. A shark’s liver contains a compound called squalane which is produced in the vagina as a lubricant. Squalane is secreted from the vagina when a woman becomes aroused. As the squalane is released, the labia and clitoris have begun to swell as preparation for intercourse. The inner part of the vagina increases in length, preparing to be entered by the male sex organ.

Exercise For Your Vagina

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A man named Arnold Kegel helped change the lives of women by developing an exercise that strengthens the pubococcygeus muscles of the vagina. The discovering of this exercise came about in 1948 which helped women of that time cope during childbirth, reduce urinary infections and increase pleasure from orgasm. The exercise is only helpful if one knows which muscles are being used. Stopping the flow of urination in the middle of the act reveals the muscles needed for the exercise. The exercise begins by laying on one’s back. By tensing and relaxing the designated muscles, excluding the buttocks muscles, in five to ten-second intervals for three times a day, the vaginal muscles can stay in optimal shape. The Kegel exercise can benefit men as well.

Home To The G-Spot

Photo Credit: GQ India.

The vagina is the home to a magical area known as the G-spot. The G-spot is an erogenous area in the internal part of the vaginal region that is known to hold the ability to deliver an intense orgasm. The G-spot can produce an orgasm that is more powerful than the orgasm induced by the clitoris. One way to find the G-spot is the enter the index finger into the vagina and move the finger in a motion as if suggesting someone to come closer. Though every woman is different and it may take some time, the general practice should hit the spot.

Hygiene Misconceptions

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Douches are meant to help relieve the vaginal area from odour and provide an overall cleanse after a woman’s menstrual cycle. It is good to be clean, but some man-made items do more harm than good. Douches can remove the good bacteria that resides in the vagina to keep a woman healthy. Messing up the composition of this bacteria can make the area more prone to infections. Douches may also spread harmful bacteria around if it is already present in the vagina. Though it needs a bit of assistance, the vagina has a system for cleaning itself.

Vagina On The Big Screen

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Walt Disney is the last thing that comes to mind when one thinks of the word vagina, but now it just may be at the top of the list. Known for his talents behind the camera, in 1946 Disney was chosen by the Cello-Cotton company to create a film called The Story of Menstruation. The film contained the word vagina which had never been mentioned over on celluloid. The Cello-Cotton company made Kotex feminine napkins and used the film as a way to promote their product to students. The film was never put on the big screen but shown to over one hundred million American students. It was not pornographic in nature and went as far as representing menstrual blood as white instead of red.

Banned For Saying Vagina

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The word vagina can make some people uncomfortable but put it in the wrong atmosphere, and it can cause some controversial issues. During a discussion on passing a bill restricting abortion after the twenty-week mark, a representative named Lisa Brown was barred from the floor by the house speaker Jase Bolger when she expressed her opinion on the matter. The word vagina was included in her response, and it was concluded to be an act that disrupted the decorum. Barb Byrum showed support for her friend’s comment and was barred as well.

Pubic Hair Mystery

Photo Credit: American Flare.

The reasoning behind pubic hair is still a mystery to the scientific world. Though there are theories behind its purpose, there is no solid answer as to why humans have it. Humans are the only species on the planet to possess pubic hair. One theory suggests that it is used to trap the odours one secretes during sexual arousal known as pheromones. Another theory supports the claim that the hair helps with lubrication during sex with a partner. The most common theory involves the notion the hair provided warmth to the genitals during prehistoric times. Modern trends have deemed the hair almost unappealing, with the majority of women and men preferring to be smooth.

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