Vagina Tenting

[IAskQuestions2]

I have been reading a lot on this website and around that vagina's conform to whatever is inside of them when aroused. But i'm not sure I understand how tenting works with this. I read that when the vagina tents the back 2/3 increase in length and width considerably.
I understand the muscles relaxing when a woman is aroused, but this seems to suggest that when a woman tents she creates a physical space, but people here talk about the vagina being potential space rather than any physical space. How is this so if tenting occurs?

[Heather]

Tenting is effectively more the cervix pulling back (because the uterus it is attached to is), thus, lengthening the vagina because the cervix is not jutting into it as much. In other words, it makes a little more space - anything from a couple centimeters to a few inches - the cervix was otherwise taking up.

[IAskQuestions2]

Does it not also have a change in width?
That is my confusion a lot of sources on the internet seem to say it is both length and width.

[Heather]

My understanding of tenting is that for as wide and long as the cervix juts into the vagina -- and it is a cylinder, not unlike the penis, so it of course has both length and width -- that's about the space we will then have within the top of the vagina once it has pulled back and is no longer filling that space. We don't get the kind of collapse-on-itself you get with something entering the vaginal opening, because the back of the vagina is always wider than the opening due to how it connects with the cervix and uterus.

Picture it like this, if that's still confusing: using one hand, curl your fingers into your palm to create a cylinder. Then put the thumb from your other hand in there. Flip your hand over and look at it. Then take your thumb out and look.

You've basically, then just seen the kind of change we're talking about with tenting, with your thumb being the cervix. The way the canal you're making with your hand and the faux-cervix you're making with your thumb are are basically how the vagina is without a lot of arousal, and when you move your thumb (the cervix) back, you're looking at how that canal looks with arousal and tenting.

(This is why it's pretty easy to bump someone's cervix or for vaginal entry to feel not-so-good when a person isn't aroused, because the cervix is right there, and it's pretty sensitive when it comes to pain. This can also be a pretty good way for anyone to get some cues about physical arousal, especially when the body is their own: if the cervix is awfully close to the vaginal opening, that person is not likely very physically aroused.)

Really, it's the terminology with this I think can be a bit misleading. The movement taking place is really about muscular movements of the uterus, which involve pulling the cervix back, rather than the vaginal canal itself changing.

[IAskQuestions2]

Ok thanks. I guess when people where talking about potential space they where referring to the part you mentioned closer to the opening.

[Heather]

Nope, the back (posterior) of the vagina is where tenting occurs.

[IAskQuestions2]

Nope, the back (posterior) of the vagina is where tenting occurs.

Yes so opening is the 'potenital space'