5 MYTHS ABOUT VAGINAS

Let's clear up a few persistent (and shameinducing) ideas about grooming, scent, and more.

- KATE ROCKWOOD

1 MYTH: Vaginas and vulvas should look a certain way.

MYTHBUSTER Healthy vaginas and vulvas come in many different shapes and sizes. This is especially true of the inner and outer labia, or "lips," of the vulva, which can vary in shape, length, and pigmentation, says Alyssa Dweck, M.D., a gynecologist in New York and the author of The Complete A to Z for Your V. In many cases, labia are asymmetrical, she says. The vagina and the vulva also can change over time: Hormonal changes can affect the pigment of the vulva, and childbirth can alter the size of the vaginal opening, Dr. Dweck says. The upshot: Every vagina is unique, and unless differences are causing issues such as painful sex, you don't need to worry about whether yours looks "right."

2 MYTH: Sex stretches out the vagina permanently.