What Happens To Your Vagina As You Get Turned On

Although women's sexuality is sometimes treated like an impossible thing to understand, the female sexual response is a pretty straightforward process. It’s super interesting to learn what happens to your vulva and vagina as you get turned on. It’s maybe something you’ve experienced, but perhaps never thought to really ask about, or maybe you were curious but didn’t feel comfortable bringing up with your OB-GYN. Not to mention, it's smart to know all about the process that happens as a body prepares for orgasm. If nothing else, you'll have some fun facts on hand the next time you attend a dinner party.

What happens to your vagina when you’re aroused

“The vagina and vulva are quite dynamic structures! During arousal there is increased blood flow to the pelvic organs and tissues,” explains Dr. Kiarra King, an OB-GYN. “This causes the external genitalia (labia majora, labia minora and clitoris) to swell and become engorged. Internally, the vagina lengthens, dilates and self-lubricates.”

In other words, magical things happen when you’re aroused, and many of them simulaneously. Things tend to feel all warm and tingly down there as the sexual excitement increases. Vaginal lubrication often occurs at this time. Thanks to the increased blood flow, lubrication enters through the vaginal walls. What is going on inside the vagina is what's really interesting: vaginal expansion. Basically, the vagina can increase in size by 200 percent during arousal, according to Psychology Today. Its elastic powers are pretty impressive.

Hormones, habits, and even problems in a relationship can affect the arousal response to varying degrees. So although the vagina (and the rest of the body) can do some amazing things to prep for sex, it's not uncommon to experience difficulties in this arena anyway. Arousal may be a basic biological response, but it is far from simple.

Expert:

Dr. Kiarra King, an OB-GYN and OLLY Ambassador