Vagina means the passage leading from the opening of the vulva to the cervix of the uterus in female mammals. The word is commonly misused in place of vulva, which denotes the external genital organs of the female. This mistake is so common that we probably can’t stop it, but careful users of English should know the difference between the words.
For both words, some dictionaries list the Latin plurals, vaginae and vulvae, but the -s plurals, vulvas and vaginas, are just as good and less pretentious.
Examples
For example, these writers use the words vagina and vulva correctly:
Pacik said a shot of Botox at the entrance of the vagina works similarly to the way it does on the face, allowing muscles to relax. [New York Daily News]
“His left hand is under my head and his right hand caresses me” may describe the man caressing the woman’s vulva … [NPR]
… but their hearts start to melt when they both stick their hands up a cow’s vagina to pull out a breach-birthed calf. [Telegraph]
She rubs ointment on her vulva while taking a business call. [Salon]
