Vagina fact vs fiction – from acidic conditions to shrinkage and 10cm-long clitoris – everything you need to know

OVER the past few weeks we have covered weird and wonderful facts about breasts and the penis and now we turn to the vulva and vagina. 

The female genitals are more commonly referred to by their nicknames – ‘down there’, ‘lady bits’, ‘foof’ and ‘vajayjay’ are just a few of the words we use to beat around the bush. 

One survey by gynaecological charity The Eve Appeal found that around half of parents use nicknames when talking to their daughters about their genitals and 1 per cent don’t refer to them at all. 

Using correct anatomical terms is important, and the words vulva and vagina are no different to other anatomical names like elbow or nostril.  

So let’s be clear.

The vulva are the external genitals, which includes the labia majora, the outer, fatty hair-bearing lips, the labia minora, the thinner inner lips which can protrude out of the labia majora, the clitoris and entrance to the vagina.

The vagina is actually inside, it’s the muscular tube which connects the vulva to the cervix, which is the neck of the womb.  To help you remember, the vagina even has the letters ‘IN’ in it!

Now we’ve the basic terminology down, let’s get into some weird and wonderful facts you might not know about vulvas and vaginas. 

1. Your vagina is acidic

Think back to school chemistry lessons, water is neutral with a pH of 7. 

But the skin of the vulva has a pH of about 5.5 and the vagina even more acidic with a pH of around 3.8-4.5.  

As this acidic pH allows the microbiome of the vagina to flourish, using products such as bubble bath and various vaginal washes (which aren’t needed, see below) and even some lubricants can affect the vaginal pH and cause issues such as thrush.

2. The clitoris is bigger than you think!

There will be some size variation between people, but the small bump that many people think is the clitoris is actually just the glans clitoris, which is the equivalent of the glans penis, or the head of the penis.

The glans clitoris can measure between about the size of a pea but the rest of the clitoris is much bigger.

It extends down into the vulva and internally, branching off into bulbs and legs, meaning that the clitoris tends to be about 10cm long.  

3. The clitoris is the only organ that’s solely designed for pleasure

The clitoris is the only organ in the body of all genders that is solely designed for pleasure.

Thought to contain over 10,000 nerve endings (though the research was done initially on cows!) it has no other purpose than sexual pleasure.

Just as the penis fills with blood during an erection, the clitoris also fills with blood and the more of it that’s stimulated, the greater the likelihood of arousal and orgasm.

Approximately 80 per cent of women will not reach orgasm by vaginal penetration alone, despite what you may have been told – this is normal and due to your anatomy. 

Direct stimulation of the clitoris is generally needed for orgasm.

4. If the glans clitoris = the penis, the labia majora = the scrotum

Yes they look different, but the labia majora – the fatty outer lips of the vulva which grow pubic hair – come from the same tissue as the scrotum does during development in the womb.

5. The vagina can grow…and shrink

Just like other body parts, the vagina grows and changes with time, for example during puberty and pregnancy.

The vagina is extremely elastic and stretches.

Think of it in the same way as if you roll your sleeves up – initially your sleeve is bunched together and small, but has the capacity to stretch and be pulled down again covering your arm. So too does the vagina.

It has rugae, tiny folds or pleats, which can stretch and expand as needed. The average vagina is 5-13cm long but stretches during sexual arousal and penetration.

But this doesn’t mean that any stretching, including stretching during childbirth, is permanent.

Any changes are generally temporary and pelvic floor exercises are essential to protect the pelvic floor and improve vaginal muscle tone.

6. Discharge is normal

There are entire industries based around the idea that vaginas are smelly and dirty.

This is absolutely not the case, your vagina does not smell like a bunch of roses, because, well, it isn’t a bunch of roses.

Discharge is normal and healthy and helps keep the vagina clean and lubricated. 

You might notice that your discharge changes throughout your cycle, becoming thinner or more sticky at certain times.

It tends to be clear, white or creamy coloured and has no or a mild odour.  If your discharge changes in amount, colour or smell please see your doctor.

7. The vagina cleans itself

That’s right – the vagina is like a self-cleaning oven, it cleans itself with discharge. 

In fact, it does a better job than most self cleaning ovens!

The vaginal microbiome is the healthy bacteria which live in the vagina.

Cleaning inside the vagina, even douching with water internally, can disrupt the vaginal microbiome and lead to issues such as thrush. 

Clean the vulva with water but leave the vagina alone! You aren’t dirty and you don’t smell, and if you are concerned that you might please see your GP.

8. Why doesn’t pubic hair keep growing?

Pubic hair has a purpose, it helps protect the genitals and keep the area warm and moisturised. 

But it is different to the hair on your head.

Pubic hair grows slower than the hair on your head and has a longer resting phase, meaning that it cannot grow as long.  

9. You can’t actually lose anything in there

The vagina is a tube with the vaginal opening at one end and the cervix – the neck of the womb – at the other. 

It isn’t possible to lose anything in the vagina and, apart from sperm, nothing can squeeze through the cervix. 

Sometimes it can feel like you can’t reach a tampon but often squatting and bearing down can push a tampon slightly lower so you can reach it. 

If you still can’t reach it then see your doctor, who can use a speculum and forceps to remove it. 

Please do not leave tampons in for longer than 8 hours. But if your doctor can’t see it, it hasn’t got lost but is more likely to have fallen out!