The vaginal opening is a small, flexible opening located between your urethral opening (where urine comes out) and your anus. In its resting state, it’s not a wide-open hole. It looks more like a closed or partially closed slit surrounded by soft folds of tissue. Its average width at rest is about 26 millimeters, roughly the width of a quarter, though this varies significantly from person to person.
Where Exactly It Is
The vaginal opening sits in the lower portion of the vulva, which is the external genital area. If you’re looking at the vulva from front to back, the clitoris is at the top, the urethral opening (a tiny dot-like hole for urination) sits just below it, the vaginal opening is in the middle, and the anus is at the bottom. The vaginal opening is flanked on either side by the labia minora (inner lips), which may partially cover it depending on your anatomy.
One reason the vaginal opening can be hard to identify visually is that it doesn’t look like a defined circular hole. It’s more of a soft, collapsible passage. The tissue around it is mucosal, meaning it’s moist and smooth, similar in texture to the inside of your cheek. You may need to gently separate the labia to see it clearly.
The Hymen and What It Looks Like
The hymen is a thin piece of tissue that partially surrounds or covers the vaginal opening. It’s not a seal or a barrier. In most people, the hymen is a small crescent or ring of tissue sitting just inside the opening, leaving plenty of space for menstrual blood and discharge to pass through. After puberty, tampons, physical activity, or sexual activity, the hymen often wears down to small, barely noticeable remnants around the edges of the opening.
Hymens vary quite a bit. Some are shaped like a half-moon, others form a ring around the entire opening, and some have a band of tissue running across the middle (called a septate hymen). Rarely, the hymen covers the opening almost entirely, leaving only a tiny perforation. This variation, called a microperforate hymen, can make it difficult to insert tampons or have penetrative sex, and it sometimes causes menstrual blood to back up. These less common types are typically identified during adolescence and can be corrected with a simple in-office procedure.
Normal Color and Texture
The tissue around and inside the vaginal opening ranges widely in color. In lighter-skinned individuals, it’s often pink or reddish-pink. In darker-skinned individuals, it can be brown, deep reddish-brown, purple, or nearly black. All of these are healthy and normal. The inside walls of the vagina itself are generally pinkish regardless of skin tone, and they have soft, ridged folds that you can feel with a finger.
The skin of the vulva surrounding the opening also darkens naturally over time. Pregnancy, menopause, and hormonal birth control all influence pigmentation in this area, so if you notice gradual color changes, that’s expected. The moisture level at the opening fluctuates too. It can be nearly dry, slightly damp, or noticeably wet depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle, whether you’re aroused, and your overall hormonal state.
How It Changes Over Time
The vaginal opening doesn’t look the same throughout your life. Before puberty, the tissue is thinner and the opening is smaller, with less surrounding labial tissue. During puberty, rising estrogen levels cause the vaginal walls to thicken, the labia to develop more fully, and natural lubrication to increase. This is when the tissue takes on its adult appearance.
Childbirth, particularly vaginal delivery, can stretch the opening and the surrounding tissue. Some people notice that the opening appears slightly wider or that the tissue feels softer afterward. Perineal tears or episiotomies during delivery can leave small scars near the opening. These changes are common and don’t necessarily cause problems, though pelvic floor exercises can help restore muscle tone over time.
After menopause, dropping estrogen levels cause the vaginal tissue to become thinner, drier, and less elastic. The opening may appear narrower, and the surrounding skin can look paler or more fragile. These changes, sometimes called genitourinary syndrome of menopause, can also cause discomfort during sex or increased susceptibility to urinary tract infections.
What Changes During Arousal
When you become sexually aroused, increased blood flow to the pelvic area causes the vulvar tissue to swell slightly and the vaginal walls to produce lubrication. The opening itself becomes more relaxed and easier to penetrate. The surrounding tissue may deepen in color, appearing more flushed or reddish, due to the increased blood flow. These changes reverse once arousal subsides.
Signs That Something May Be Off
Since the vaginal opening is a mucosal surface, some clear or white discharge is completely normal. But certain changes in what you see or feel around the opening can signal an infection or irritation worth addressing.
- Thick, white, cottage cheese-like discharge with itching and redness usually points to a yeast infection.
- Thin, grayish-white discharge with a fishy smell, especially after sex, is characteristic of bacterial vaginosis.
- Gray-green discharge with a bad odor, along with burning or soreness, can indicate trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted infection.
- Burning, itching, and irritation without infection sometimes results from contact with soaps, douches, scented products, or spermicides.
Unusual sores, bumps, or lesions near the vaginal opening that weren’t there before are also worth getting checked, as they can indicate conditions ranging from ingrown hairs to sexually transmitted infections. Redness and swelling that persist outside of arousal, or bleeding between periods, are other visual cues that something needs attention.
How to Look at Your Own Anatomy
If you’ve never examined yourself, a small handheld mirror and good lighting are all you need. Sit or recline comfortably, hold the mirror between your legs, and use your fingers to gently separate the labia. The vaginal opening will be the larger of the two openings you see (the urethral opening above it is very small and easy to miss). You’ll notice the tissue is soft, folded, and moist. Getting familiar with your own anatomy makes it much easier to notice if something changes later.