The vagina is an amazing thing. With this one passageway, a person can deliver a baby, release blood every month, and experience all sorts of pleasure in the bedroom. 

This huge variety of functions is made possible by the vagina’s impressive ability to change shape and then return to its normal size. But how does it do that? And what is a normal size for a vagina? 

Quick Facts!

• There’s a wide range of normal vagina lengths.
• The average vagina is between 5 and 13 cm in length.
• A vagina can stretch considerably, but it returns to its original size afterwards.
• Vagina size is not linked to sexual satisfaction, number of partners, or if you’ve given birth or not.

What Is the Vagina?

While many people refer to everything “down there” as the vagina, technically speaking, the vagina is the muscular “tube” that connects the uterus to the outside world. The outer genitalia that people sometimes call a vagina is, in fact, called a vulva. The two are connected, but they’re distinct parts of the body.

The vagina (and vulva) are important for sex, childbirth, and to allow the passage of menstrual blood. Read more about the correct words for female genital anatomy in our blog article – Vulva VS Vagina: What’s The Difference?

How Deep Is the Vagina?

There is a wide range of normal for how deep a person’s vagina is. Typically, the vagina is somewhere between 5-13 cm deep (or long; we’ll use both words interchangeably here). However, vaginal length varies widely from person to person, and changes in sexual arousal can significantly change and increase vaginal length as blood flows to the area and muscles relax. 

It may seem like your vagina is shorter at certain parts of your menstrual cycle, especially around your period. This may be due to the position of your cervix, which is often higher around ovulation and lower during menstruation. There is little significant association between age, weight, race, or whether you’ve given birth on vaginal length. 

How Does the Vagina Become Deeper?

The vagina is an amazingly elastic organ. It can stretch thanks to folds in the vaginal wall known as rugae. These folds can straighten out to expand the vagina during sexual activity or childbirth. They refold afterwards, allowing the vagina to return to its original size.

Whensexually aroused, a woman’s vagina can become several centimetres longer (and also wider) to facilitate penetration. This may be thanks to increased blood flow and excitement of the dense nerve networks in the vaginal wall. The cervix also may move upwards, making the vagina even deeper. 

During childbirth, the vagina is the passageway for the baby to come out of the uterus and into the world. This is enabled not only by rugae allowing vaginal walls to stretch but also by hormonally-enabled structural changes in the pelvis. But even these immense shifts are temporary; after childbirth, the vagina reverts to its initial size.

How To Measure Your Vagina

There’s no real need to measure your vagina – you can have a perfectly happy and healthy sex and reproductive life without doing so. However, you might still be curious.

Most studies that measure vaginal depth do so with imaging technologies like computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) rather than physically measuring it. 

However, while hands-on measurement may not be precise enough for medical studies, you can certainly try it yourself if you want:

• Recline or lay down in a comfortable position.
• Gently insert a clean and appropriate object (such as a dildo, sex toy, or finger) into the vagina. 
• Mark how far you can comfortably insert it – don’t force it. Measuring this length may give you an idea of your (stretched) vaginal length. 

Remember, your vaginal length will likely depend on your menstrual cycle, arousal levels, lubrication, what is being inserted, and whether you stretch the vagina while measuring.

You might also already be aware of what size of penis or dildo you prefer for sex. This is an entirely personal preference, and different sizes of penetrating objects feel good for different people. A 2015 study of 75 women showed they preferred a penis around 16 cm (6.3 inches) for penetrative sex, but this doesn’t necessarily correlate to how deep the vagina is. 

Does It Matter How Long My Vagina Is?

In short, no, it does not matter how long or deep your vagina is.

Like other body parts, vaginas are all different sizes, and size does not affect sexual pleasure. A 2010 study of 500 women backs this up: it found that sexual satisfaction was not linked to vagina size.

If you’re struggling with penetration or experiencingpain during sex, speak to your doctor. It may be due to a medical condition like vaginismus or issues with tissue elasticity or lubrication.

Common Myths About Vaginal Depth

There are tonnes of myths out there about vaginal length, so let’s explore some of the most common ones and set the record straight.

The vaginal opening becomes bigger when aroused

We’ve mentioned that the vagina can get longer and wider when aroused, but that doesn’t mean the vaginal opening (called the introitus) gets bigger with arousal. Like the vagina itself, the vaginal opening can stretch to accommodate fingers, penises, and objects of varying sizes and will return to its original size.

Arousal leads to an increase in blood flow to the genital area, which can cause engorgement of the vulva and lubrication of the vagina. While this may make the introitus appear more obvious, it won’t make it any bigger in size.

Certain medical issues, such as vaginal prolapse, can cause the vaginal opening (or “genital hiatus” to widen. This can be resolved with physical therapy or surgery.

A short vagina means worse sex

Nope! Having a shorter vagina doesn’t mean worse sex. Vaginal length is not related to sexual satisfaction. Rather, factors such as relationship satisfaction, desire, communication, and having a varied sexual repertoire are factors which have been shown to correlate with sexual satisfaction.

Having sex a lot will make your vagina bigger

There are plenty of myths around the idea that lots of sex (especially with multiple partners) will stretch your vagina and make it bigger, longer, or less tight. However, this is simply not true, and it’s a harmful stereotype that can create shame and blame around sexuality. Having a lot of sex does not make your vagina bigger, looser, or longer. 

As with childbirth, the vagina does increase in length during sex, but these changes are temporary. The vagina goes back to its original size after sex. 

Summary: How Deep Is a Vagina?

A healthy vagina can vary widely in length – from 5–13 cm – and it can even change throughout the month and during sexual arousal. Plus, the vagina is designed to stretch and then return to its original size. It can accommodate fingers, penises, toys, and even a whole human during childbirth.