7 Weird Things You Didn't Know About Your Vagina (But Definitely Should!)
By Keely Savoie
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No matter what you call your vagina (from "down there" to vajayjay, there's no shortage of terms being used these days), there's little doubt that it's one amazing organ. But how well do you know your lady parts—beyond what it does for your sex life? (Try one of these 11 new sex positions tonight!) Like, did you know there are thousands upon thousands of nerves packed into just one small area of your vagina? Or that more than one G-spot might exist? Give your vaginal IQ a little boost with some of these impressive facts.
1. Your vagina is slightly acidic.
Your vagina has a pH of about 4 (a normal range is 3.8 to 4.5)—on par with a glass of wine or a tomato. And a little acidity is actually a good thing, to keep things balanced down there. So be careful when using certain feminine hygiene products, which can actually disrupt that balance and create unwanted irritation.
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2. There are four pathways to pleasure.
Four different nerves—the pelvic, hypogastric, sensory vagus, and pudendal nerves—supply the genital area with that amazing sensation you feel during sex. Recent studies of the brain have even found that the sensory vagus nerve passes by the nerves in the spinal cord to produce arousal. "This is the reason why some women with complete spinal cord injuries can still experience orgasms in response to sexual stimulation," says Beverly Whipple, PhD, sex researcher and educator and co-author of The G Spot: And Other Discoveries About Human Sexuality. "The research also validates that women all experience pleasure and orgasm differently."
3. Thousands of nerves are packed into your clitoris.
The clitoris has only one function: to provide sexual pleasure. And it's very sensitive—it actually has more nerves per millimeter than any other organ, anywhere. In fact, it's estimated to have at least 8,000 nerve endings—the densest nerve supply of any organ, of which males don't have an equal counterpart, says Alyssa Dweck, MD, a gynecologist in Westchester, NY and co-author of V Is for Vagina.
4. Your clitoris is as big as a penis.
Believe it or not, the entire clitoris, which wraps all the way around to the back of the vagina, is about 80% the size of a penis. When you consider the scale of female and male bodies, this means the clit is proportionately the same size as a penis.
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5. There may be more than one "G-spot."
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Most women know the G-spot as a prime erogenous zone, but Malaysian sex scientist Chua Chee Ann, MD, may have identified another area called the A-spot (or, the Anterior Fornix Erotica zone). It's said to be located a few inches above the G-spot, along the belly button side of the vaginal wall. While the findings haven't been replicated by other scientists, meaning the results are still inconclusive, don't let this stop you from trying to locate the A-spot yourself. The fact is, "there are a lot of spots inside the vagina that can cause pleasure," Dweck says.
6. Vaginal lubrication doesn't come from one place.
There is some research that both the Bartholin and Skene (female prostate) glands around the vagina provide lubrication, but most of it actually comes from a process called transudation, when mucous moves through the vaginal wall, says Eric Marlowe Garrison, clinical sexologist and author of Mastering Multiple Position Sex. (Here are 8 times you will definitely need to use lubrication.)
7. Strengthening your vagina can improve orgasm.
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Kegel exercises, or the vaginal squeezes that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, can help with ejaculation during orgasm. In one study, Whipple compared pelvic floor muscle strength between women who experienced ejaculation and those who didn't—and those with stronger pelvic muscles were more likely to experience ejaculation. "Kegels can increase sexual responses and help women experience female ejaculations," Whipple says. (And fun fact: In 2009, a Russian mom named Tatiata Kozhevnikova set the vaginal weightlifting record by lifting 31 pounds with her lady bits.)
Keely Savoie Keely's writing on science and health has appeared in numerous publications and anthologies.
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