Vaginal fornix

The fornices of the vagina (sing. fornix of the vagina or fornix vaginae) are the deepest portions of the vagina, extending into the recesses created by the vaginal portion of cervix. The word 'fornix' is Latin for 'arch'.

There are three named fornices:

• The posterior fornix is the larger recess, behind the cervix. It is close to the rectouterine pouch.
• There are two smaller recesses in front and at the sides:
  • the anterior fornix is close to the vesicouterine pouch.
  • the lateral fornix.

During sexual intercourse in the missionary position, the tip of the penis reaches the anterior fornix, while in the rear-entry position it reaches the posterior fornix.^[1]

Some women receive enjoyment from stimulation of the fornices, while other women say that their fornices cannot be stimulated without stimulation of the cervix, which may be painful.

The fornices appear to be close to at least two erogenous zones, the AFE zone, which is near the anterior fornix, and the cul-de-sac, which is near the posterior fornix.

References

External links

• MedEd at Loyola Grossanatomy/dissector/practical/pelvis/pelvis14.html
• SUNY Labs 43:10-0201 - "The Female Pelvis: The Vagina"
• Histology at BU 19401loa - "Female Reproductive System: cervix, longitudinal"
• Human anatomy at Dartmouth figures/chapter_35/35-2.HTM

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.