Editing Vagina (section)

===Medications===
[[Intravaginal administration]] is a [[route of administration]] where the medication is inserted into the vagina as a creme or tablet. [[Pharmacological]]ly, this has the potential advantage of promoting [[therapeutic effect]]s primarily in the vagina or nearby structures (such as the [[vaginal portion of cervix]]) with limited systemic [[adverse effect]]s compared to other routes of administration.<ref name="Ranade">{{cite book |vauthors=Ranade VV, Cannon JB |title=Drug Delivery Systems |edition=3rd |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-4398-0618-0 |year=2011 |page=337 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PBfLKBTQk0cC&pg=PA337 |access-date=October 27, 2015 |archive-date=May 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506164911/https://books.google.com/books?id=PBfLKBTQk0cC&pg=PA337 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Lehne">{{cite book|vauthors=Lehne RA, Rosenthal L|title=Pharmacology for Nursing Care|publisher=[[Elsevier Health Sciences]]|isbn=978-0-323-29354-9|year=2014|page=1146|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=udTsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1146|access-date=October 27, 2015|archive-date=May 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506162710/https://books.google.com/books?id=udTsAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1146|url-status=live}}</ref> Medications used to ripen the cervix and induce labor are commonly administered via this route, as are estrogens, contraceptive agents, [[propranolol]], and [[antifungal medication|antifungals]]. [[Vaginal ring]]s can also be used to deliver medication, including [[birth control]] in [[contraceptive vaginal ring]]s. These are inserted into the vagina and provide continuous, low dose and consistent drug levels in the vagina and throughout the body.<ref>{{Cite journal|vauthors=Srikrishna S, Cardozo L |s2cid=25185650 |date=April 2013 |title=The vagina as a route for drug delivery: a review |journal=International Urogynecology Journal|language=en|volume=24|issue=4|pages=537–543|doi=10.1007/s00192-012-2009-3|pmid=23229421 |issn=0937-3462}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/504375_5|title=The Benefits of Vaginal Drug Administration—Communicating Effectively With Patients: The Vagina: New Options for the Administration of Medications|date=January 8, 2018|website=www.medscape.org|publisher=Medscape|access-date=January 8, 2018|archive-date=October 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018010055/http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/504375_5|url-status=live}}</ref>

Before the baby emerges from the womb, an injection for pain control during childbirth may be administered through the vaginal wall and near the [[pudendal nerve]]. Because the pudendal nerve carries motor and sensory fibers that innervate the pelvic muscles, a [[Pudendal nerve#Anesthesia|pudendal nerve block]] relieves birth pain. The medicine does not harm the child, and is without significant complications.<ref name="Maclean2011">{{cite book|title=Gynaecology |vauthors=Maclean A, Reid W |publisher=Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier|year=2011|isbn=978-0-7020-3120-5|veditors=Shaw R |location=Edinburgh New York|pages=599–612|chapter=40}}</ref>