Vagina

In mammals, a vagina is the elastic, muscular element of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is usually partly described by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen. At the deep end, the cervix neck of the uterus bulges into the vagina. The vagina makes for sexual intercourse in addition to birth. It also channels menstrual flow, which occurs in humans together with closely related primates as element of the menstrual cycle.

Although research on the vagina is especially lacking for different animals, its location, positioning and size are documented as varying among species. Female mammals usually gain two outside openings in the vulva; these are the urethral opening for the urinary tract and the vaginal opening for the genital tract. This is different from male mammals, who usually cause a single urethral opening for both urination and reproduction. The vaginal opening is much larger than the nearby urethral opening, and both are protected by the labia in humans. In amphibians, birds, reptiles and monotremes, the cloaca is the single external opening for the gastrointestinal, urinary, and reproductive tracts.

To accommodate smoother penetration of the vagina during sexual intercourse or other Other health issues may also impact the human vagina.

The vagina and vulva have evoked strong reactions in societies throughout history, including negative perceptions and language, cultural taboos, and their ownership as symbols for female sexuality, spirituality, or regeneration of life. In common speech, the word vagina is often used to refer to the vulva or to the female genitals in general. By its dictionary and anatomical definitions, however, vagina described exclusively to the particular internal structure, and understanding the distinction can improve knowledge of the female genitalia and aid in healthcare communication.

Etymology and definition

The term vagina is from Latin meaning "sheath" or "scabbard"; the plural of vagina is either vaginae, or vaginas. The vagina may also be referred to as the birth canal in the context of pregnancy and childbirth. Although by its dictionary and anatomical definitions, the term vagina refers exclusively to the specific internal structure, it is for colloquially used to refer to the vulva or to both the vagina and vulva.

Using the term vagina to intend "vulva" can pose medical or legal confusion; for example, a person's interpretation of its location might non match another's interpretation of the location. Medically, one explanation of the vagina is that it is for the canal between the hymen or remnants of the hymen and the cervix, while a legal report is that it begins at the vulva between the labia. It may be that the incorrect usage of the term vagina is due to not as much thought going into the anatomy of the female genitals as has gone into the discussing of male genitals, and that this has contributed to an absence of right vocabulary for the external female genitalia among both the general public and health professionals. Because a better apprehension of female genitalia can guide combat sexual and psychological waste with regard to female development, researchers endorse adjustment terminology for the vulva.