The vagina is an interesting topic to discuss among men and women. However, people still do not know much about its basic anatomy and functioning. Here is the list of 5 things everyone must know about the vagina.

1. Your vagina is highly acidic for a good reason

You have probably heard that the vagina has a self-cleaning mechanism of its own. It is true, you know. The natural acidity of the vagina is also a natural bacteria killer.

The vagina needs to be acidic so that bacteria are easily killed off. At the same time, this acidity is also a major spermicide, which means this acidity kills off sperm cells that are unsuitable to become a human.

This then ensures that only the strongest and fittest sperm cell gets to reach the egg. This is why a man's sperm needs to be strong and healthy to be able to reach the egg, otherwise, chances of pregnancy will be low.

But do you know how this acidic condition remain constant? Well, it’s due to the secretion of lactic acid.

A bacteria know as lactobacilli is responsible for this acidity. Besides, estrogen is also a key determinant in preservation of this sterility.

According to an article appearing on the PubMed Central website, estrogen influences how the vaginal epithelial cells produce glycogen, which enables the good bacteria to thrive, thus marinating this protective shield.

Now that you know why a vagina is acidic, it is best not to clean the inner part of the vagina with soap so as not to allow bacteria to grow easily.

2. You should clean only the outer part of your vagina with soap

People often have a misconception about what constitutes a vagina. The vagina is not actually visible to the eye; what you see down there are the labia, which is often called the lips of the vagina.

The actual vagina is the part inside that can't be seen right away. This inner part is what's acidic for a good reason.

So, now when you think of which part of the vagina is not to be cleansed with soap, you know it is the inner part.

Meanwhile, the outer part of the vagina—the lips or the labia—need to be regularly cleaned with mild soap to remove sweat and bacteria.

If you can, it is best to clean the labia part with soap made especially for feminine hygiene. But even feminine hygiene products are still not recommended for cleaning the inner part, which is the vagina.

3. Vaginas come in all kinds of shapes and sizes; there is no ‘standard’!

Just like all of the other parts of the human body, the vagina also comes in all kinds of sizes and shapes.

There is no such thing as a pretty vagina aside from that of your own standards, which by the way, it is not inherently bad to want to have a standard of your own.

The difference are as many as the women in the universe. Each vagina is unique in its way, and even the same one could change in color, texture, and appearance.

These variations could make you wonder whether your vagina is normal. Well, according to an article in the Medical News Today, your vagina is perfect in its current state, provided it’s fulfilling its core function.

However, it is still useful to know that there is no standard that makes a normal vagina, normal. Just like hands, fingers and feet, vaginas come in different shapes and levels of fullness.

The size and shape of the clitoris, the colour of your vulva; all that is unique to each individual.

As long as there are no abnormalities that can pose a health hazard nor are you dirty, you should be fine with any shape and colour of the vagina that you have.

4. The female clitoris is literally the equal of a male phallus

The clitoris, or clit for short, is the peanut-shaped part of your vagina. It is located just above the opening of the vagina and is actually the pleasure spot for all women.

Did you know that the small clitoris is the part of your vagina that has the most nerve endings? Yup, and that's literally the equal of a man's penis.

That's why this part will need more stimulation if a woman wants to get the same level of pleasure as a man. So, the whole vaginal pleasure thing is elusive at best, although not impossible.

But why bother with stimulating the wrong part when the clitoris is right there staring you in your face?

A man needs to position his pelvis a little higher than a woman's pelvis to be able to stimulate the clitoris while penetrating her.

5. The G-spot is highly likely only a myth

Everyone has heard of the ever-elusive G-spot. So many articles and sex tips have been provided for us to understand where exactly the G-spot is.

But recent studies have suggested that the G-spot is highly likely only a myth.

Forget those few centimetres inside the vagina that is said to be the pleasure spot for females, when you really come around, the whole concept doesn't even sound plausible.

It simply doesn't make sense that there's a patch of the membrane that just happens to have the most nerve ends.

According to a publication on the PubMed Advanced website, the G-spot has been accepted as a highly erogenous spot with massive nerve ending.

The reality though is that no scientific evidence exist to confirm the presence of this location. The study concludes that the available behavioral, biochemical, and anatomical evidence aren’t strong enough to substantiate this claim,

Experts have suggested that when vaginal orgasm happens it is more likely due to intense stimulation (read: friction) to the clitoris.

And as you know, the clitoris is located just above the vaginal opening and with the correct positioning, it is easy to stimulate the clitoris while having a vaginal penetration, which ultimately leads to orgasm.

To round things off, everyone must know essential facts about the vagina if they want to take proper care of their reproductive organ and conceive early. Taking care of the vagina can make women feel overall happy and content.

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Always Stay Positive To Enhance Your Life After A Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy is a term that is referred for removal of the uterus. In some extreme cases, Fallopian tube and both the ovaries are also removed. It is generally performed in patients, who suffer from pain or abnormal bleeding from the uterus. Hysterectomy is also done to people who have cancer cells in the cervix and ovary.

Women with the following problem such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, heavy periods, prolapse of the uterus and fibroids are recommended for hysterectomy. Abdominal surgery is the most common method used to treat the problem. A vaginal hysterectomy does not cause much pain and you will not have any visible signs of the operation. You can take antibiotics and painkillers to protect yourself from a post-surgery infection.

How hysterectomy is performed?

General anesthesia is given to the patient before the therapy and the duration of the procedure is about 1 to 2 hours. A urinary catheter is inserted to empty your bladder. Your vaginal canal and abdomen are cleaned with a sterile solution before the start of the procedure. In the abdominal surgery, the surgeon makes an incision for about 6 inches.

In a vaginal hysterectomy, the uterus part is removed through the cut made in the vaginal opening. The laparoscopic procedure requires only a small cut in the abdomen and will remove the uterus in the form of small pieces.

Recovery after abdominal hysterectomy

It may take a few weeks for you to recover from the hysterectomy. You can follow these things to speed up the process:

• The post surgery will be more painful, so you have to take adequate bed rest. Take painkillers to lessen the pain emerging from the operated part.
• You must avoid lifting heavy objects after the abdominal surgery for about 2 months. You can take the help of others, for doing such kind of works.
• There might be heavy or light bleeding after the treatment, so the use of hygienic pads is necessary.
• After the abdominal hysterectomy, avoid eating dairy food products because it may cause constipation.
• You must wait for at least six weeks to resume your sex life.

How to deal with your life after this treatment?

Women who have their uterus removed are forced to enter the menopause phase. They will no longer be having menstrual periods. If you have undergone a partial hysterectomy, then your cervix will remain in place and you are prone to cervical cancer. After the therapy, you can do a pap smear test to detect cervical cancer.

Laparoscopic hysterectomy patient recovers from the problem within one month. Due to the sudden stop in the production of the estrogen hormone, you might be suffering from side effects such as vaginal dryness, hot flashes and sleeping disorder. You can talk to the specialist about it and most of them will advise you to take hormone replacement treatment.

This therapy does not affect your sexual activity at any point. Initially, you may experience pain during intercourse due to post-surgery discomfort. Some of them show more interest because they need not worry about periods and pregnancy anymore. At the same time, you will also get relief from the uterine problem. Always be positive to enhance the quality of life.