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" It has more nicknames than possibly any other female bodypart (sideways smile, anyone?), its own doctor, and theability to bring you tons of pleasure \u2014 not to mention pain,particularly if you plan to have a baby. Yet the vaginaremains a mystery to many. In fact, a Cosmo poll found thatmore than 60 percent of women say they don&amp;#039;t know a lotabout their vadge \u2014 which is unfortunate, because a newstudy reports that chicks who feel confident about theirdown-there area have more orgasms. So we&amp;#039;ve put togethera list of 15 bits of info to boost your V-zone comfort level.These are the crucial facts about how it functions, keepingit healthy, and increasing the amount of bliss it brings you. 1. It&amp;#039;s just one part of your down-there region  Most of us use the word vagina to refer to our private parts. But technically, the termdescribes only thenarrow canal that runsinside your body fromthe vulva (the visiblearea that includes theinner and outer labia,clitoris, and perineum)to the cervix (the lowerportion of the uterus). 2. Vaginas generally look alike ...On the inside, that is.What does vary is thevulva. The clitoris rangesfrom 1 to 1\u00BC inches(including the hood), theouter labia can be barelythere or a few incheslong, and the inner labia,which are reminiscent ofbutterfly wings, might behidden or hang past theouter lips. Most women&amp;#039;slabia aren&amp;#039;t perfectly symmetrical \u2014 one side is usuallybigger than the other.  3. The surrounding area often can be different colors The shade of your southernregion isn&amp;#039;t necessarilyrelated to the tone ofthe rest of your skin.Many light-skinnedwomen have brown orpurplish labia, while adarker-hued chick canhave a lighter vulva. Youalso can have differentcolors in different areas \u2014 for example, your labiacould be on the darkerside yet your perineumcould be pale pink.  4. Its walls are pleated Usually, the walls of thevagina lie compressedagainst each other. Butwhen they need to open\u2014to accommodate a tamponor penis\u2014the sides separateand widen, kind oflike the way an umbrellaopens or a pleated skirtunfolds. The vagina typicallyswells from half aninch wide to 2 incheswide. And it can get evenbigger \u2014 after all, a babymight have to passthrough it!  5. Relax \u2014 a well-hung guy won&amp;#039;tstretch it out...  As explained above, thevagina is incredibly elasticand can fit a supersizepenis \u2014 yet it alwaysreturns to its usual tightnessafter sex. But it mightbe a different story onceyou pop out a baby, assome moms say they dofeel looser. You can tightenup by doing certain exercises(see number 7).  6. ...Nor will it&amp;quot;revirginize&amp;quot; if you go througha long dry spell There&amp;#039;s a rumor out therethat if you find yourself ina no-booty bout, yourvagina will become sotight that getting back inthe saddle will hurt. It&amp;#039;stotally untrue. While yourvaginal muscles may betense at first, penetrationshouldn&amp;#039;t be painful at all.  7. It benefits from regular exercise Just as working yourbiceps firms up yourarms, working your pubococcygeusmuscle \u2014 amain muscle of yourpubic region \u2014 can toneup your vadge. Besidesgiving you a tighter gripduring sex, it also maymake it easier to climax.Here&amp;#039;s how to exerciseyour V: Clamp down as ifyou&amp;#039;re stopping yoururine flow, hold for 10seconds, then release. Do2 sets of 10 to 20 a day;you&amp;#039;ll notice a differencein about a month.  8. It&amp;#039;s teeming with bacteria Don&amp;#039;t get grossed out \u2014 they&amp;#039;re the kind that keepbad microorganisms incheck so you don&amp;#039;t get aninfection. One of thegood bacteria is lactobacilli,also found in yogurt.In fact, some gynos sayyou can help cure a yeastinfection by inserting atablespoon of plain yogurtwith live cultures intoyour vadge (put some ona tampon, and push it in).  9. It&amp;#039;s self-cleaning No need to douche orwash the inside \u2014 yourvagina cleans itself withdischarge (yep, that stuffhas a function). Thesecretions flush out cellsfrom the vaginal wall,excess water, and bacteria.The only washing it needsis on the outside betweenthe labial folds andalong the perineum(use a mild, scentfreesoap).  10. The hair aroundit isn&amp;#039;tnecessary Back in cavemantimes, pubes shielded the vagina frombacteria and trappedodor to attract men.Today, we have clothes toprotect us. And as forattracting a guy with yourhairy crotch, the oppositemay be true: Someguys are turned on byseeing a woman&amp;#039;s bare V.  11. Its smell gets stronger during your cycle Speaking of scent, everyvagina has one. It tends tobe acidic before yourperiod and pungent afterward.Your scent also maybe more noticeable post-workout,because ofsweat glands, and duringsex, thanks to the naturallubrication you produce.  12. Getting it on does it good...  Part of the reason sexfeels so amazing: Hoo-hastimulation, whether ornot you reach an O,releases feel-good hormones.Some gynos alsosay that having an orgasmeases cramps \u2014 an awesomereason to hit thesheets with your guy orhave solo sex when youhave your period.  13. ...But too much sex can throw itout of whack While regular action canrelax you, too much ina short period of time mayleave you chafed orinflamed down south orwith a urinary-tract infection.You&amp;#039;re more likelyto get a UTI if you do it ontop or in missionary, sinceyour guy&amp;#039;s penis is supercloseto your urethra andcan push harmful bacteriain it. No need to give upthese poses though;peeing post-sex can keep aUTI at bay.  14. Discharge changes throughout your cycle Your vadge producesmore discharge \u2014 up to 2teaspoons a day \u2014 duringovulation; it tends to bethinner and clearer at thistime. Before your flow, it&amp;#039;screamier and thicker. If itever itches, burns, stinks,or looks like cottagecheese, see your gyno.  15. Things can&amp;#039;t get lost up there Your vagina is not a blackhole. It&amp;#039;s impossible foranything (like a tampon)to escape into youruterus \u2014 the cervix blocksoff access. But a tamponcan slip out of reach. Ifone does, fish it out whilesquatting and bearingdown. If that doesn&amp;#039;t work,make an appointmentwith your gyno, who willpluck out the tamponquickly and painlessly.Note: Steer clear of puttingfood, even chocolatesyrup or whipped cream,up there. The sugar canlead to an infection.  Designer Vaginas?  Some doctors say vaginal surgery can increase pleasure andimprove appearance, but these procedures are rarely medicallynecessary, are hardly ever covered by insurance, and can causenerve damage. (Besides, in our opinion, this is one thing that doesnot need improvement.) A few of the so-called corrections offered: Vaginal Rejuvenation $7,000* Aimed at women who complain of feeling too loose to enjoy sex,it involves tightening the vagina. The truth: No published studiesshow whether &amp;quot;rejuvenated&amp;quot; women feel more or less satisfaction. Labiaplasty $6,000 This can reduce the size of the inner or outer labia and evenout asymmetrical lips. However, visibly asymmetrical anduneven lips are actually the norm.  The G-Shot $1,550 It increases the size of the G-spot area via a collagen or cosmeticfillerinjection; this supposedly intensifies sensation. Shots lastthree to six months. Beware: Its effectiveness is in doubt.  Hymen Repair $5,000 This reconstructs the hymen, allowing a woman to experiencethe feeling of losing her virginity again. Hmm...pain, blood, andawkwardness a second time around? Don&amp;#039;t sign us up.  *Costs are estimates; prices will vary. Lady Parts in Pain?  Two very real yet poorly understoodconditions can cause serious discomfort.  Vaginismus causes the vaginal muscles to contractinvoluntarily, making it difficult or impossible tohave sex, use a tampon, even undergo a gyno exam.It can be treated via physical therapy and/or counseling, but often gets worse before it gets better becausewomen who have it stress out so much wonderingwhat&amp;#039;s going on before checking in with their gyno.  Vulvodynia is characterized by vulva pain,stinging, or sensitivity so intense that direct touch ishard to bear. There are no visible signs, and it&amp;#039;soften diagnosed after gynos rule out other conditions,such as a bad yeast infection. Antidepressants canoften help lessen the pain. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/advice/a3182/vagina-facts-0110/>