Vaginal contractions are contractions of the

pelvic muscles The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani, the coccygeus muscle, and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis. The pelvic diaphragm is a muscular partition formed by the leva ...

surrounding the

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hy ...

, especially the pubococcygeus muscle. Vaginal contractions are generally an involuntary muscular response to

orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling") or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region charact ...

. Though usually an involuntary response, some women can control the muscles of the vagina to perform vaginal contractions at will. Vaginal contractions enhance the sexual experience and pleasure for both parties during sexual intercourse. In a 1982 study, pelvic contractions of 11 women who manually self-stimulated to orgasm were monitored using an anal probe and a vaginal probe simultaneously. Near the perceived start of orgasm, a series of regular contractions began in 9 of the women, with anal and vaginal contractions synchronizing with each other. Three of the women's orgasms consistently included only a series of regular contractions; for six other women, orgasms consistently continued beyond the regular series with additional irregular contractions. Two women had no regular contractions during reported orgasms. The women showed marked differences in orgasm duration and the number of contractions. A 1994 study confirmed these results but concluded that some women experience their orgasm regularly without contractions and some report having contractions during orgasm only occasionally. Vaginal contractions are caused by both the activity of certain brain regions and the release of the hormone oxytocin. It has been suggested that vaginal contractions during orgasm can increase the chances of pregnancy as they transport sperm up the reproductive tract from the vagina to the oviducts, which decreases the distance it has to travel. Additionally, when the woman is fertile, sperm is only transported to the side of the dominant ovary. Involuntary vaginal contractions may arise from non-sexual causes. Involuntary spasm of the muscles around the vagina, usually caused by anxiety, can result in vaginismus. Vaginal contractions should not be confused with

uterine contraction Uterine contractions are muscle contractions of the uterine smooth muscle that occur during the menstrual cycle and labour. Uterine contractions occur throughout the menstrual cycle in the non-pregnant state and throughout gestation. Throughout ...

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vaginal Contraction Gynaecology Orgasm Vagina

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