Because there is significant swelling of the external organs surrounding the vagina (the vulva, clitoris, labia) as well as the vagina itself during sex, as Wise explains, it makes sense that the reverse would happen after.

There are multiple reasons why your vagina may experience soreness after sex. Anything from a particularly vigorous love-making session to an STI could cause this. “Sometimes you may be sore or have spotting after sex, which can happen for a number of reasons, including skin irritation caused by friction or an allergic reaction,” says Dr. Gillian Dean, Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater NY. Using plenty of water or silicone-based lubricant can help prevent the tears and friction that can result in this discomfort after sex.

“It's normal for the vagina to feel more sensitive and engorged for several minutes after sex. All the increased blood flow to the area that helped increase sensitivity and pleasure takes a little while to return to a non-sexual state,” says OB-GYN Dr. Jennifer Conti. So while you’re mentally winding down and your body is goes from turned-on to calm, your body is physically winding down, too.

For some people, a revved-up vagina may appear to have a slightly different hue than one in a resting state. “The increased blood flow can darken the tissues temporarily,” explains Wise. It’s somewhat like the reaction that makes your cheeks blush with embarrassment or arousal.

Granted, you’re probably not going to whip out a thermometer to check this fact when things start getting hot and heavy. But the local temperature of your genitals can increase with arousal, explains Wise. When the activity is done, then everything returns to its usual temp.

Arousal can cause a vagina to change in size, and again, not permanently. “The vagina is very accommodating,” says Conti. “One of the most fascinating things about it is that it naturally expands in length as part of the sexual response, as a way of better accommodating a penis or sexual toy and preventing injury.”

“Vaginas also have the ability to stretch in size to make room for things to go in and out, and during penetration, your vagina can expand anywhere from two inches up to eight inches in length,” explains Dean. When sex is complete, they return to their regular resting state.

This also applies to the vagina after a vaginal childbirth too. Even giving birth won’t change things down there very much, as vaginas are made to stretch and return to their regular shape without a hitch, whether that’s for a sex session or delivering a baby.

The vagina is built to experience sex and then go back to business as usual without any major, fundamental changes. “Sex doesn't change vaginas per se,” says Conti, further explaining that “you can't look at a vagina and tell whether or not someone is a virgin.” Really, what happens to the vagina after sex is that it bounces back pretty quickly.

“After sex, your vagina will typically go back to its usual size, color and temperature within a few minutes to a half-hour or more,” says Dean. For the most part, any physical changes to the vagina caused by sex are temporary.