The vagina is inside your body. During sexual arousal, blood flow to the vagina increases. As a result, the vagina gets wetter and its top third expands like a balloon. When you're not aroused, the vaginal walls lie closely together.
What is the vagina?
Some people confuse the vagina with the outer part of the female genitalia, the vulva. However, the vagina is inside the body: It's a tube up to 12 centimeters long made of very elastic mucous membrane. The mucous membrane is surrounded by a thin layer of muscle.
How can I look at my vagina?
From the outside, you can only see the opening of the vagina. The easiest way to see it is to use a mirror.
You want to find the vaginal opening? The best way to see it is by holding each outer labia with two fingers and gently pulling them away from your body. In the resting state, the vaginal walls touch each other. That's why you don't see an open tunnel when you look at it in the mirror. The vagina is stretchy enough that a baby can pass through. You may also be able to see the hymen. The hymen is a ring of mucous membrane. It surrounds the opening completely or partially.
What does the vagina feel like?
The vagina is a bit like the inside of your mouth. And when you put your finger inside it, you'll notice: it also feels a bit similar. And another thing is similar. You can use your finger to push against your cheek from the inside. In the same way, you can press your finger against the vaginal walls.
Why is the vagina wet?
The vagina wall has no glands, but the skin is very permeable to fluids. So the vagina is always more or less moist. This discharge is important to keep the vagina and uterus clean and healthy.
Does the vagina have muscles?
The vagina is surrounded by many pelvic floor muscles. Up to two centimeters past the vaginal opening, you can feel the external sphincters on both sides with your finger. Tightening these muscles feels like you are trying to stop peeing. You can also just tense them on purpose. Try this and use a mirror. You will then see the contraction and release in the mirror. Further inside the vagina are deeper layers of the pelvic floor muscles. During orgasm, these muscles contract involuntarily and rhythmically several times. The pelvic floor muscles can be prone to tensing when there is pain or anxiety. This can create a feeling of the vagina being too tight for sexual intercourse.
Where is the G-spot (G-zone)?
When you insert a finger into the vagina, you may notice that the entrance is not round. It's more of a U-shape. That's because there's a curved area on the front wall of the vagina. This is where the G-spot is located, about a finger's length inward. But it's actually more of an area than a spot. For many women, stimulation of the G-zone is particularly arousing.
Where is the cervix and the cervical os?
Going even further up the front wall of the vagina, you will— with a little effort — be able to feel the cervix and cervical os. The cervical os is a slightly harder bump, about the size of a grape or an apricot, with a dent in the middle. This is where the cervix opens into the vagina. The cervix is the lowest part of the uterus and is sometimes called “the neck of the uterus”. The dent is the opening through which the menstrual blood flows out. It is very narrow. It's a little wider during ovulation and menstruation. Some people regularly check the size of their cervix with their finger. That's how they're able to tell when they are ovulating. The cervix is so stretchy that a newborn baby can get through.
What can the cervix feel?
Notice if your cervix feels anything when you touch it. People can learn to experience pressing, massaging or pushing of the cervix as very arousing — up to the point of orgasm.
How do I arouse the vagina?
More and more “arousal zones” are being discovered and named in the vagina. But actually, this makes no sense. Because that would mean that the rest is not sexually arousable. But in fact, the entire vagina can be sexually aroused. Because within its lining are sexually arousable nerve endings. Likewise, there are sexually arousable nerve endings in its surrounding muscles. The lower third of the vagina is very sensitive to touch and friction. The nerve endings further in respond more to stretching than to friction. If you regularly touch, stretch and press the vagina in different places, you can train the sexual arousability of your vagina. You can also learn to reach orgasm this way.
What happens in the vagina during sexual arousal?
Sexual arousal increases the blood supply to your genitals. This causes more fluid to enter the vagina. You've probably noticed this increased wetness. It makes it easier for the penis or dildo to glide during sexual intercourse, for example. The increased blood flow smooths the vaginal wall. And the top third of the vaginal wall stretches like a balloon. This gives the penis or dildo more room. You can use your finger to see if you can feel these changes.
How is sexual arousal related to tense muscles?
The pelvic floor muscles play an important role in sexual arousal. If you want to know more about this, please read our text Effects of high muscular tension during sex.
Does your vagina tend to stay dry despite high sexual arousal? Then you might be tensing your pelvic floor muscles a lot. When you are very tense, your vagina is less well supplied with blood. Do you have difficulty taking in more than one finger during sexual arousal? This might also be a sign that you are strongly tensing your muscles. In that case, we highly recommend that you do our exercises in the chapter Sex Tips, Techniques and Exercises for Women.