after sex

[maddiegirl]

Hi!! I was wondering why semen comes out of the vagina after sex? I thought the vaginal muscles closed back together when nothing was inside of it! Does that mean the vagina is loose of semen comes out?!

[Karyn]

The vagina collapses in on itself when there's nothing inside, yes, but it doesn't seal off completely the way you might be thinking. Semen is a liquid, so there isn't really anything for the vagina to 'hold onto': it doesn't mean anything about the tone of the muscles in the vagina. After all, menstrual flow comes out of the vagina, and we don't take that as an indication that there's anything wrong with those muscles. It's like how you can hold a solid object like a ball in your hand, but no matter how hard you squeeze, you can't hold liquid in the same way, and that's not about your hand not working properly, it's about the difference between solids and liquids. Make sense?

[maddiegirl]

Yes.. I believe so. So does that mean liquid can get up there easily if it's not sealed? Like, when I take a bath or a pool can water get inside of my vagina? I have this weird fear of things getting inside of there. Also, is it true that the vagina stay open the whole when I'm ovuling? Some one told me that the canal is open the whole time!

[maddiegirl]

Or like does the vaginal canal open up if I spread my legs apart? I'm so confused!!

[Sam W]

Hi Maddie,

I think it might be helpful to read this article as a starting place, since it goes over the ins and outs of the vagina (among other things) and might clear up some of the worries you have:
Innies & Outies: The Vagina, Clitoris, Uterus and More

[maddiegirl]

Thank you I read it and while it explains a little more, it still doesn't say if the vaginal canal opens up when my legs are apart, or if water can get inside? Or if the vaginal canal is open when I'm ovulating?

[Sam W]

Hi maddie,

Well, in terms of your legs, opening them does open things up a bit (think about putting in a tampon: it goes in easier if you put your legs further apart). And yes, a little water can sometimes get into the vagina during a bath or a swim, but it's not cause for alarm.

When you ask about the vaginal canal opening during ovulation, I'm a little confused as to what you mean. Are you thinking it expands like it does when there's something inside it?

[maddiegirl]

Oh okay and yes I heard that the whole canal opens while you're ovulating. Like it's just open..

[Sam W]

Hi Maddie,

Is it possible the person you were talking to meant "cervix" and not vaginal canal? Because during ovulation, the cervix gets softer, more open, and raises a bit, which someone might interpret as the vagina "opening"

[maddiegirl]

Oh, maybe.. so it wouldn't make sense for her to be referring to the canal?

[Sam W]

I mostly suggest that as what she was referring to because the cervix changing is the more significant change that happens during ovulation. So it's more likely to be something that someone heard about. But, I can't know for sure what this person was getting at, since I'm not her.

[maddiegirl]

I understand, have you ever heard that the canal is what stays open the whole time during ovulation? I think I have OCD about this.. the idea of something getting in there makes me anxious.

[Sam W]

Just from reading what we have on the site (and other reliable sources), it's not something that comes up as a side effect of ovulation. It's the cervix that experiences the most changes during that time.

Have you been to a mental healthcare provider to talk to them about your worries, and your thoughts that you might have OCD?

[maddiegirl]

Oh I see, and no not yet but I think I may need too. Thank you so much for answering my questions!

[Heather]

If you've got any more questions about this anatomy and how it works, ask away!

[maddiegirl]

Hi again. So sorry for creating another account, I never saved the password on this one and thought it would be easier to create another. Sorry sorry. But may I ask, so the vagina IS an internal organ? Or it isn't. From my understanding it is, but I wanted to make sure.

[Heather]

That link that explains that anatomy for you I gave to you answers that clearly.

[maddiegirl]

Yes but then I was confused because I thought you said in the other post that it was a common misunderstanding that it was an internal organ. Meaning that people mistake it for an internal one when it isn't. Unless I read the wording wrong.

[Heather]

Just looked at that, and can see my phrasing made that unclear, sorry about that. By all means, the vagina is an internal organ, so someone can't sit down on a flat surface and get anything from that surface into the vagina because, again, gravity. It's a vagina, not a Hoover.

[maddiegirl]

Oh okay, thank you so much for your help. It is really appreciated!!

[Heather]

You're welcome.