Women realize that taking good care of their bodies is important. With this in mind, women young and old, at work or at home are more aggressive in finding ways to learn more about their bodies. Learning about their bodies involves amassing information about structures unique to women. This includes information on the sex organs such as the vagina, ovaries and uterus as well as on certain concerns such as pregnancy, doctor consultations and specific examinations. Women are aware of the impact of staying healthy on their personal lives. Knowing her body and managing her health keep the woman on top of her game. This is a vital formula for achieving success and fulfillment in all aspects of her life.
What is the vagina?
Your vagina is a tube that is created by walls that normally collapse together. It is about 9cm long in adult women. Muscles pretty much compose the vagina and a thin membrane lines its walls. The muscles are found in the innermost section of the walls and provide the walls the support they need. A part of the vagina is attached to the part of the uterus called the cervix. The cervix is the opening of the uterus which is the pear shaped structure that holds the unborn baby during pregnancy.
Where is the vagina located?
The vagina is not the part of the body that you wash while taking a bath. The inverted triangular area that you cleanse every morning is actually the Mons of the vulva. The vagina is a structure hidden from view. It is a tube that extends back and upward at an angle, surrounded by walls that separate it from other structures.
What is the function of the vagina?
It serves as a connection between the uterus and the outer part of the body. The vagina holds the penis which is the male sex organ during sexual intercourse. When you are having your menstrual period, it is through the vagina that blood passes through. It also serves as a passageway for the baby during childbirth.
How did the vagina form in the womb?
The vagina develops early during pregnancy. Around the 7th week of pregnancy, the unborn child has developed structures that release chemicals. These early structures are influenced by the genes contributed by both parents. These genes are contained in ribbonlike structures called chromosomes. The type of sex organs that will develop depends on these chemicals. Two X chromosomes will cause little tubes to form into female sex organs such as the uterus, fallopian tubes and vagina. If a Y chromosome is present, then male sex organs will develop instead. As pregnancy continues, these small tubes and ducts fold and unfold until they become the internal sex organs. As sex hormones such as estrogen are being released, other structures such as the clitoris begin to form.
Is the vagina covered with skin?
The vagina needs to be protected too but it is not lined with skin. Skin is far too thick. Rather your vagina is lined with a thin membrane-like covering. This makes the vagina highly sensitive. Clear fluid seeps through this lining during sexual activity or when one is sexually excited. This lining may have some bumps on it. This is normal and should not be a cause for worry.
Do we urinate through the vagina?
It may appear as if we urinate through the vagina since urine appears to pass through the vaginal opening when one urinates. Looking closely, you actually urinate through the opening called the urethral meatus. The urethra is a portion of the urinary bladder. The urinary bladder holds urine collected from the kidneys and releases urine into the urethral meatus when one urinates. The urethral meatus is usually hidden from view. It is just right above the opening of the vagina. Observing its proper location will help you realize how infections in the urine can also lead to vaginal infections and vice versa.
What is the vulva? Is it the same as the vagina?
The vagina is different from the vulva. While the vagina is found inside the body, the vulva includes the inverted triangular area that one cleans every morning. The vulva refers to all outer structures and landmarks of the female organs of sex and reproduction. It makes sense to think that the vulva is an outer sex organ and the vagina is an inner sex organ.
Parts of the Vulva
Mons - The base of the inverted triangle is called the mons pubis of the vulva. It is soft because it is made of fat. It becomes covered with coarse curly hair when a girl grows older.
Lips - The mons becomes two folds of skin called the labia or the lips. The outer and larger lips are called the labia majora. The inner and smaller ones are the labia minora. The labia majora just like the mons are covered with coarse curly hair in older girls and women.
Clitoris - The clitoris is a small knoblike structure in front of the vulva where the folds of the labia minora join together. The clitoris is very sensitive because it contains lots of nerve endings.
Vestibule - This is the area between the labia minora. This is where you find two openings:
Urethral meatus where urine passes through.
Vaginal opening which leads to the vaginal canal.
The Inner Sex Organs
The vagina, together with the ovaries and uterus, makes childbearing possible in females. The sex organs function together so that sexual maturity may be achieved. This is how sex organs work together. They send signals to one another, a little like how we send text messages to our friends. The brain processes and regulates these signals. With the aid of these signals, young boys and girls begin to experience changes in their bodies. These changes are brought about by chemicals released by the brain which tells the ovaries in females to release substances called hormones. These hormones are estrogen and progesterone and they cause changes in the body. During this time, young girls may note hairs in their armpits and enlargement of their breasts. Young girls may also begin to feel and behave differently during this time.
The vagina is only one of the inner sex organs of the body. The other sex organs within the body include:
Uterus - The pear shaped structure in females which holds and nourishes the growing baby during pregnancy. It has two parts: the body and the cervix. The body is the larger part of the uterus where the baby is held when a woman is pregnant. The cervix is the lower portion of the uterus. It has a slit-like opening where the baby passes through during childbirth. Discharge and menstrual blood also pass through the cervix into the vagina.
Fallopian Tubes - These are two thin tubes about 12cm long that come out of the sides of your uterus. The tubes have fingerlike structures at its end which “catch” the egg once it is released by the ovary. Inside the tubes are tiny moving hairs that help the egg move along the tubes. When sexual intercourse has taken place, a sperm will fuse with the egg in the fallopian tubes.
Ovaries - The ovaries are oval shaped structures found near the fallopian tubes and uterus. They are very important for sexual maturity and childbearing in females. Your ovaries produce the female sex hormone estrogen and it also produces your eggs that are necessary for pregnancy to take place. Hundreds of eggs are produced in your ovary but only one egg is released every month.
