Anatomy of the Vagina Notes:

1) Oral Contraceptives (OC) can be used to inhibit menstruation. At this time, this is believed to decrease the risk of pelvic infections, perhaps because OC's alter the cervical mucus. The cervical mucous likely acts as a barrier to harmful organisms. Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3, Reference 4

2) When writing this article I couldn't find the reference from which I came about my prior claim of a 50% increase in the length of the vagina during sexual arousal. Some references say the vagina lengthens, but they don't usually state by how much. Reference 4 states: "So the exceptional man whose erect penis is eight inches long can still make love to any woman, providing he excites her properly and introduces his organ very slowly. If he does this, her vagina will lengthen by 150 or 200 per cent [1 1/2 to 2 times its normal length] to accommodate him." The vagina may stretch when an object is inserted, but sexual arousal alone doesn't appear to lengthen it by all that much. Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3, Reference 4

3) MRI images of living subjects have indicated the pelvic muscles are normally not "bowl" shaped, rather "In a woman with normal pelvic floor function, the levator ani muscle complex in its tonically [normal] contracted state has an intricate three-dimensional structure in which its anterior [front] portion (pubococcygeus and puborectalis) is oriented vertically as a sling around the mid-urethra, vagina, and anorectum and its posterior [rear] portion (the pubococcygeus) has a horizontal upwardly biconvex shape resembling a butterfly wing (Figure 3)." [7] Below, I have enlarged and enhanced the image provided in the cited reference.

4) "At birth, the vagina is 4 cm [1.6 inches] long, lengthens approximately 1 cm [0.4 inches] during early childhood and 8 cm [3.1 inches] during late childhood, and reaches mature length of 10 to 12 cm [4 to 4 3/4 inches] by menarche. The vagina at birth resembles the mature vagina with its deep cryptic rugae and folds secondary to [as a result of the] maternal estrogenic effect [raised estrogen level]. As maternal estrogen levels fall in the infant within the first few weeks after birth, the vaginal wall becomes dry, thin, nonelastic, and nonrugated. The vagina remains in this quiescent state until the onset of puberty. During early puberty, increased estrogen levels affect the vaginal epithelia [exposed skin surface]. Such pubertal changes can be noted on examination by identification of the more mature dull pink color of the vaginal mucosa [mucus tissue], increased vaginal secretions, and increased vaginal wall flexibility compared with the prepubertal findings of the red translucent mucosa, sparse secretions, and a relatively rigid vaginal wall." From Rudolph's Pediatrics: Edition 21, by Colin D Rudolph, Abraham M Rudolph, Margaret K Hostetter, George Lister, and Norman J Siegel, editors

5) "The close physical proximity of the urethra and the clitoris to the anterior vaginal wall suggests an association between these anatomical structures and sexual function. In fact, the anterior vaginal wall is an active organ, transmitting during intercourse, the effect of penile thrusting in the vagina to the clitoris, by stretching the two ligaments that insert around its base." Measurement of the Thickness of the Urethrovaginal Space in Women with or without Vaginal Orgasm, Journal of Sexual Medicine Volume 5 Issue 3, Pages 610 - 618

"The distal vagina is a structure that is so interrelated with the clitoris that it is a matter of some debate whether the two are are truly separate structures. The same relationship applies to the female urethra. Though in anatomical terms it is possible to dissect one structure fully from the other, the three structures (distal [outer] vagina, clitoris, and urethra) share blood supply and innervation." The Anatomy of the Distal Vagina: Towards Unity, Journal of Sexual Medicine Volume 5 Issue 8, Pages 1883 - 1891

6) In the U.S. it is illegal for anyone to take a photograph of the vulva or vagina of anyone under the age of 18, and this includes the woman herself. Unfortunately, electronic images are easy to distribute, which means they are potentially a matter of public record once created, especially if a computer or cell phone is lost or stolen, or the images are voluntarily shared with a friend or sexual partner who later shares them with third-parties, which is a common occurrence. At present, our legal system does not make a distinction between appropriate and inappropriate use of technology by those not yet considered an adult by the legal system, hence everything is considered illegal. For women 18 and older, they may want to password protect these images by using encryption software, some of which is available for free. Obviously, the password should be known only to the woman herself, as sharing the password defeats the purpose of having one, and easy to remember ten or more years later.

7) I do not want to appear as though I support male circumcision without reservation, as men were around for thousands of years prior to the invention of circumcision, yet we still survived and evolved as a species; other mammals appear to exist quite well with intact foreskins. Circumcision DOES reduce the rate of HIV transmission, but the primary risk factor isn't associated with a penis having an intact foreskin, but rather with having multiple sexual partners, as well as other risk factors. If a man with an intact foreskin never engages in penile-vaginal or penile-anal intercourse, and other risky activities, then he will more than likely never acquire HIV. The greater the number of sexual partners he has, and the poorer his personal hygiene habits, the greater his risk for acquiring HIV and other STDs, and spreading it to his sexual partners. Circumcision reduces but DOES NOT eliminate the risk of contracting and spreading HIV and other STDs. My concern is that men who are circumcised may believe they are immune to HIV, which is absolutely not true. The same principle applies to young women, and eventually young men, who get the HPV vaccine; getting vaccinated does not eliminate all the other risks factors, only potentially blinds us too them. Strictly and ideally, from a medical perspective, men and women should limit the number of sexual partners they exchange body fluids with to those the plan to conceive a baby with, or at least as few as possible, to protect their overall health and quality of living. This is because harmful organisms are constantly evolving, and the speed at which they spread around the world has reduced from years to hours. This however does not rule out the possibility for engaging in partnered sex with more than one person during your lifetime.