reproductive system continue the vagina
What's your vagina ?
Your vagina is a stretchy, muscular canal that's an important part of your reproductive anatomy. Many people refer to "vaginas" as a stand-in for all the reproductive parts associated with being assigned female at birth (AFAB). But your vagina is just one essential organ that's part of your reproductive and sexual health.
Your vagina is an essential part of your external genitals, or your vulva, which allows you to experience sexual pleasure. And, it's an important part of your internal reproductive system, which makes pregnancy and childbirth possible.
Who has a vagina?
People who are assigned female at birth (AFAB) have vaginas. AFAB people include cisgender women — people who are AFAB and identify as women — and some transgender men and nonbinary individuals. Some intersex individuals have cervixes, too.
Some transgender women and nonbinary individuals who aren't AFAB choose to have gender-affirming surgery called a vaginoplasty. A vaginoplasty constructs a vagina out of a person's genitals.
Function
What does your vagina do?
Your vagina enables you to experience sexual pleasure, channels period blood outside of your body, and plays a role in both pregnancy and childbirth.
Sexual pleasure: The walls of your vagina contain nerve endings that allow you to experience pleasure when a penis, a finger or fingers, or a sex toy penetrates your vagina. Your vagina expands and becomes lubricated when you're aroused to prevent the friction from feeling painful instead of pleasurable.
Menstruation: You shed your uterus lining (endometrium) each month during your menstrual cycle unless you become pregnant. The lining exits your body through your vagina as menstrual blood. You can insert tampons and menstrual cups inside of your vagina to manage the blood flow.
Pregnancy: During penis-in-vagina sex (intercourse), sperm may get released into your vaginal canal if your partner ejaculates. Sperm has to swim from your vagina and through your uterus and fallopian tubes in order to fertilize an egg.
Childbirth: People sometimes refer to the vagina as a "birth canal" when referring to its role during childbirth. Your baby travels from your uterus and through your vagina to be born. Your vaginal opening is your baby's last stop on its journey from your body to the outside world.
Interesting part about vagina
Reproductive system of a person assigned female at birth, including the vagina.
The vagina is a muscular passage leading out of the body.
What is your vagina?
Your vagina is a stretchy, muscular canal that's an important part of your reproductive anatomy. Many people refer to "vaginas" as a stand-in for all the reproductive parts associated with being assigned female at birth (AFAB). But your vagina is just one essential organ that's part of your reproductive and sexual health.
Your vagina is an essential part of your external genitals, or your vulva, which allows you to experience sexual pleasure. And, it's an important part of your internal reproductive system, which makes pregnancy and childbirth possible.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
Who has a vagina?
People who are assigned female at birth (AFAB) have vaginas. AFAB people include cisgender women — people who are AFAB and identify as women — and some transgender men and nonbinary individuals. Some intersex individuals have cervixes, too.
Some transgender women and nonbinary individuals who aren't AFAB choose to have gender-affirming surgery called a vaginoplasty. A vaginoplasty constructs a vagina out of a person's genitals.
Function
What does your vagina do?
Your vagina enables you to experience sexual pleasure, channels period blood outside of your body, and plays a role in both pregnancy and childbirth.
Sexual pleasure: The walls of your vagina contain nerve endings that allow you to experience pleasure when a penis, a finger or fingers, or a sex toy penetrates your vagina. Your vagina expands and becomes lubricated when you're aroused to prevent the friction from feeling painful instead of pleasurable.
Menstruation: You shed your uterus lining (endometrium) each month during your menstrual cycle unless you become pregnant. The lining exits your body through your vagina as menstrual blood. You can insert tampons and menstrual cups inside of your vagina to manage the blood flow.
Pregnancy: During penis-in-vagina sex (intercourse), sperm may get released into your vaginal canal if your partner ejaculates. Sperm has to swim from your vagina and through your uterus and fallopian tubes in order to fertilize an egg.
Childbirth: People sometimes refer to the vagina as a "birth canal" when referring to its role during childbirth. Your baby travels from your uterus and through your vagina to be born. Your vaginal opening is your baby's last stop on its journey from your body to the outside world.
Interesting facts about your vagina
Sometimes, a vagina sometimes is compared to a self-cleaning oven because it cleans itself without any outside help. Your vagina is host to a variety of bacteria and fungi that keep it healthy. These tiny organisms coexist in a delicate ecosystem, sometimes called your microbiome or vaginal flora. When you have the right balance of these organisms in your vagina (especially a lot of Lactobacilli, the "good" bacteria in your vagina), your vagina is infection-free. An imbalance of bacteria or an overgrowth of fungus can lead to infection.
Anatomy
Where is your vagina located?
Many people confuse "vaginas" and "vulvas," but your vagina and vulva aren't the same. Your vagina is a canal-like organ located inside of your body that opens outside of your body. It's a powerful passage that leads from your uterus (inside of your body) to your vulva, which includes your external reproductive organs, or genitals.
Inside of your body
Your vagina extends from your cervix, a neck-like piece of tissue that connects your vagina to your uterus. Your vagina ends as a hole outside of your body, called your vaginal opening. Your vagina is between your bladder (which holds your urine, or pee) and your rectum (which holds your poop).
Your G-spot is located just a few inches inside of your vagina, on the front wall. Many people find it pleasurable when this area is stimulated (with a finger or penis) during sex.
Outside of your body
Your vagina ends at a hole called your vaginal opening, which is part of your vulva. Your vulva includes folds of skin on both sides of your vaginal opening. The outer folds are called your labia majora. The inner folds are called your labia minora (inner lips). Your clitoris (clit) is located where your inner lips meet toward the top of your vulva. Your vaginal opening is located where your inner lips meet toward the bottom of your vulva. Sometimes, your inner lips wholly or partially cover your vaginal opening. You may have to part your inner lips with your fingers to feel your vaginal opening.
Your vaginal opening is one of three essential holes in your vulva area that link your body's internal and external functions. Your urethral opening is at the top. Your vaginal opening is in the middle. And your anus is at the bottom.
Urethral opening: A tiny hole located beneath your clitoris that allows you to pee. The tube that carries urine from your bladder (urethra) empties outside of your body at this opening.
Vaginal opening: This is where your baby exits your body during childbirth and where period blood flows during menstruation. It's also the hole where a penis, finger, sex toy, tampon or menstrual cup can be inserted. A thin membrane called a hymen usually surrounds or partially covers your vaginal opening. This membrane may be stretched during sex, exercise or even when you're inserting a tampon. This stretching may or may not be painful.
Anus: The organ that carries poop from your colon (rectum) empties outside of your body at this opening.