At birth to 14 days, the secretion of vaginal epithelium will be abundant. Till puberty, the secretion of the vaginal epithelium is scanty. Estrogen is the hormone which plays an important role in the vaginal secretion. During reproduction period, there will be no glands in the vaginal epithelium. So the vaginal secretion is less and it will be little more during sexual excitement and during the mid-menstrual cycle. So the influence of estrogen is essential for normal adequate secretion of the vaginal epithelium to make the surface of vagina moist.
The vaginal secretion alone is not sufficient to lubricate the vagina during sexual activity. The other glands which lubricate vagina are the Bartholin's gland and the glands of the cervix and uterus. The Bartholin's gland which is about 0.5cm, present in the superficial perineal pouch and yellowish-white in colour. The mucus which is secreted abundantly in the Bartholin's gland, mostly during the sexual excitement. The duct of the gland which opens the secretion into the vestibule. During sexual excitement, the gland is squeezed by the bulbocavernosus and the vagina is lubricated by the mucus secretion of the Bartholin's gland.
The secretion of the cervix(a part of the uterus) is less and watery. It has less contribution to the lubrication of the vagina. After menopause, the secretion of vaginal epithelium is scanty which does not make the vagina moist and the vaginal dryness occurs which makes the sexual activity unpleasant. It is believed that estrogen plays an important role in keeping the vagina moist. It is advised to use artificial lubricant during sexual activity for the person whose vagina has dryness.
Comments
Post a Comment