Inside look to vaginas

Illustration, Joel Louzado. Getting the kiddo out required an episiotomy where they surgically cut the opening of the vagina during childbirth, to aid in delivery and prevent ruptured tissues. And at three weeks postpartum, I was popping pain killers and sitting on ice packs, but the area around my vagina still hurt like hell. The skin was healing, but not smoothly. And, apparently, this imperfection would exclude me from the adult entertainment industry for good. But, it did make me wonder: what does a so-called perfect, or even normal-looking vagina look like, anyway?

The vagina and the external structures of the vulva naturally range in shape, color, and size. When it comes to anything related to bodies and sexual and reproductive health, most people wonder, "Am I normal? This article describes different types of vagina. We also discuss when to see a doctor based on the appearance of the vagina and factors such as discharge. Most studies reveal that vaginas share a general shape, but that there are many variations in length and width. When people refer to the vagina, they usually mean the visible, external part of the genitals. The proper term for this area is the vulva.

Performing a vaginal self-exam at home can help you familiarize yourself with your own body, as all vaginas are different. It can also help you identify changes and abnormalities. A gynecologist can check you for symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases STDs and perform a Pap smear test to screen for cervical cancer.

And contrary to popular belief, most of them aren't a neat package with everything hidden away. Instead there are a range of shapes, with Ben Khoda, plastic surgeon and a labia specialist at The Hospital Group , revealing there are eight totally normal ways a labia can look. Pretty as these labias may be, you might feel conscious that your vagina looks too wide, and prefer a slightly slinkier version. Sometimes the inner lips of the labia hang below the outer lips, which may cause discomfort in some women.