Now that we’ve covered the female’s external sex organs, let’s move inside and explore the internal sex organs. The internal female sex organs include the vagina, uterus, Fallopian tubes, and the ovaries (see Figures 4.2 and 4.3).
The Vagina
The vagina is a thin-walled tube extending from the cervix of the uterus to the external genitalia and serves as the female organ of intercourse, a passageway for the arriving sperm, and a canal through which menstrual fluid and babies can pass from the uterus. It is tilted toward the back in most women and so forms a 90-degree angle with the uterus, which is commonly tilted forward (see Figure 4.2). The vagina is approximately 4 inches in length when relaxed but contains numerous folds that help it expand some-
Fallopian tube Fimbriae Ovary Uterus
Bladder Pubic bone
Clitoris
Urinary
opening
Vaginal
opening
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Cervix
what like an accordion. The vagina can expand to accommodate a penis during intercourse and can stretch four to five times its normal size during childbirth.
The vagina does not itself contain glands but lubricates through small openings on the vaginal walls during engorgement, almost as if the vagina is sweating, and by mucus produced from glands on the cervix. Although the first third of the vaginal tube is well endowed with nerve endings, the inner two-thirds are practically without tactile
sensation; in fact, minor surgery can be done on the inner part of the vagina without anesthesia.