Vaginal introitus
The vaginal opening is called the introitus of the vagina. The Latin word “introitus” comes from “intro”, into, within + “ire”, to go = to go into. In anatomy, an introitus is thus an entrance, one that goes into a canal or hollow organ such as the vagina.
The vagina is a muscular canal extending from the cervix to the outside of the body. The word “vagina” is a Latin word meaning “a sheath or scabbard”, a scabbard into which one might slide and sheath a sword. The “sword” in the case of the anatomic vagina was the penis. Love and war, it would seem, have been connected in the minds of people for millennia.
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- Vaginal membrane
A thin membrane which completely or partially occludes the vaginal opening. This fold of mucous membrane is usually present at birth at the orifice of the vagina. It is also called the hymen, a Greek word meaning “skin” or “membrane.” The ancient Greeks applied the word “hymen” to all kinds of membranes including, for example, […]
- Vaginal opening
The exterior opening to the vagina, the muscular canal that extends from the cervix to the outside of the female body. Also called vaginal introitus and vaginal vestibule.
- Vaginal spermicide
A vaginal spermicide is a substance that will kill sperm in the vagina. Vaginal spermicides are available in foam, cream, jelly, film, suppository, or tablet forms. All types contain a sperm-killing chemical. Studies have not produced definitive data on the efficacy of spermicides used alone (without a diaphragm or cervical cap) but research suggests the […]
- Vaginal vestibule
The vaginal opening is called the vestibule of the vagina. In medicine, a vestibule is a space or cavity at the entrance to a canal, channel, tube, vessel. In ancient Rome, the “vestibulum” was an entrance or enclosed porch leading into the house. The vagina is a muscular canal extending from the cervix to the […]
- Vaginal yeast infection
Infection of the vagina caused by a fungus known as Candida. A vaginal yeast infection is characterized by itching, burning, soreness, pain during intercourse and/or urination, and vaginal discharge that is typically cheesy white in color. The diagnosis is confirmed through identification of the yeast under a microscope from a specimen scraped from the vaginal […]