this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2024
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Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina.
The word vagina comes from Latin and means "sheath".
The vagina is the internal section of the female reproductive tract. The external parts in humans are called vagina colloquially, but medically it is only the internal "tube" of mucous tissue. The external parts are called many things, but consist of labia (which is also latin, and means lips) and the clitoris.
There are two sets of labia, the labia majora (the typically bigger and more fleshy outer lips) and the labia minora (the thinner and often more sensitive inner lips). These lips can come in many shapes and sizes, as well as colors ranging from the pinks and peachy colors, into blues and purples, and very rarely green tinged blues. The size and configuration of the labia are not changed by sex, no matter how vigorous or frequent.
The clitoris is not just an external organ. It is similar to the penis, and is made of spongy tissue that holds blood when aroused. The little section that is visible when the clitoral hood is moved back and may protrude during arousal is only the tip of the iceberg. Like the penis, the clitoris extends deeper into the body. The clitoris forks into two segments called crura. Where the crura split is what is stimulated when touching what is called the g-spot from inside the vagina (there is some debate about that in medical science, but it seems to be the consensus).
The vagina is a self lubricating, self cleaning organ. It is highly elastic, and is capable of powerful contractions during orgasm.
During arousal the tissues of the vagina become inflamed and more sensitive, and secrete extra mucous to aid in coitus.
Coitus can lead to pregnancy (and a lot of sweaty fun), which hopefully leads to birth. During birth, the vagina is able to stretch to relatively immense degrees. This can lead to tearing of the posterior vaginal wall and may be severe enough to reach or even damage the anus.
However, that damage heals well for most women, and does very little permanent change to the vagina unless something goes wrong, or the tear is usually severe. There is something called an episiotomy, where a doctor will cut the tissues to prevent tearing so that any damage is more controlled. There is evidence that not only is it not necessary in most cases, but that tears made naturally may heal better, with less change to the woman's sensitivity and overall sexual health.
There is no distinct change to the vagina from sex itself. You cannot "bust up" a pussy with a penis.
The vagina may have a ring of tissue at the entrance called a hymen. The hymen is sometimes called the cherry or maidenhead. While it is possible to tear the tissue if the hymen during sex, it isn't guaranteed to happen, and is thus not proof of virginity. Nor is the opposite true; the hymen can be torn by any number of things from as minor as sitting down too hard, up to something like vigorous horse riding, or falling on a bicycle bar. The hymen can even survive childbirth!
The hymen is not always a small and thin ring of tissue. It may not even be detectable, or present at all. But it can be partial, where it doesn't completely encircle the vagina. It can also be more than a ring, even to the degree of completely blocking the vaginal opening. When the hymen is like that, it is called "imperforate", which just means "no holes"; the term also applies to hymen that cover the entrance, but do have smaller holes that would not be big enough to allow for penetration with objects (including, but not limited to sexual activity) and may interfere with menstruation. When this is the case, a doctor can snip the tissue cleanly and without pain.
During sex, the hymen should not cause pain. If sex hurts, it is not normal. The hymen is not heavily enervated, and thus has little or no sensation at all. When it tears, most women are not even aware. The myth that the first time sex has to hurt is utter bullshit. It comes from not being relaxed, and/or not being well lubricated for most cases.
There are conditions where sexual activity may cause pain no matter how slow you go, and are typically treatable. Those treatments may or may not entirely alleviate the issue, but they're better than nothing.
That's a wall of text, so I'll stop here with one final fact. No matter what people want to think, you can not visually determine whether or not a woman has had sex in the past. There is no test that a doctor can do to determine "virginity". Anyone claiming otherwise is a moron and can be freely ignored.
Incorrect, nerd.
Just ask my bitch wife - it can be left cold and alone, possibly in the company of strangers.