The Sexual Response - The Female Response

The Response Cycle: An Observed Pattern, not a Norm

1. Excitement

Tenting effect: The inner two thirds of the vagina increase.

Tenting effect:
With continued arousal, the inner two thirds of the vagina increase in both length and width, creating a tenting or ballooning effect. (In its unexcited state, the vagina is a collapsed tube, i.e., its walls are touching). At the same time, there is a vaginal color change from the usual red to a deep purple that becomes even darker during the following phases.