Editing Vagina (section)

===Blood and nerve supply===
Blood is supplied to the vagina mainly via the [[vaginal artery]], which emerges from a branch of the [[internal iliac artery]] or the [[uterine artery]].<ref name="Snell" /><ref name="Zimmern">{{cite book|vauthors=Zimmern PE, Haab F, Chapple CR|title=Vaginal Surgery for Incontinence and Prolapse|publisher=[[Springer Science & Business Media]]|isbn=978-1-84628-346-8|year=2007|page=6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y5cYRhGJsOsC&pg=PA6|access-date=December 3, 2017|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704043157/https://books.google.com/books?id=y5cYRhGJsOsC&pg=PA6|url-status=live}}</ref> The vaginal arteries [[anastamosis|anastamose]] (are joined) along the side of the vagina with the cervical branch of the uterine artery; this forms the [[Vaginal branches of uterine artery|azygos artery]],<ref name="Zimmern"/> which lies on the midline of the anterior and posterior vagina.<ref name=GRAYS2008 /> Other arteries which supply the vagina include the [[middle rectal artery]] and the [[internal pudendal artery]],<ref name="Dutta"/> all branches of the internal iliac artery.<ref name=GRAYS2008 /> Three groups of lymphatic vessels accompany these arteries; the upper group accompanies the vaginal branches of the uterine artery; a middle group accompanies the vaginal arteries; and the lower group, draining lymph from the area outside the hymen, drain to the [[inguinal lymph node]]s.<ref name=GRAYS2008/><ref>{{Cite book |vauthors=O'Rahilly R |veditors=O'Rahilly R, Müller F, Carpenter S, Swenson R |chapter-url=https://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/part_6/chapter_32.html |chapter=Blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic drainage of the pelvis |title=Basic Human Anatomy: A Regional Study of Human Structure |publisher=Dartmouth Medical School |language=en |year=2008 |access-date=December 13, 2017 |archive-date=December 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202013014/http://www.dartmouth.edu/~humananatomy/part_6/chapter_32.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ninety-five percent of the lymphatic channels of the vagina are within 3&nbsp;mm of the surface of the vagina.<ref name="Sabater">{{Cite journal |vauthors=Sabater S, Andres I, Lopez-Honrubia V, Berenguer R, Sevillano M, Jimenez-Jimenez E, Rovirosa A, Arenas M |date=August 9, 2017|title=Vaginal cuff brachytherapy in endometrial cancer – a technically easy treatment? |journal=Cancer Management and Research|volume=9|pages=351–362|doi=10.2147/CMAR.S119125|issn=1179-1322|pmc=5557121|pmid=28848362 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Two main veins drain blood from the vagina, one on the left and one on the right. These form a network of smaller veins, the [[vaginal venous plexus]], on the sides of the vagina, connecting with similar venous plexuses of the [[uterine venous plexus|uterus]], [[vesical venous plexus|bladder]], and [[rectal venous plexus|rectum]]. These ultimately drain into the [[internal iliac vein]]s.<ref name=GRAYS2008 />

The nerve supply of the upper vagina is provided by the [[Sympathetic nervous system|sympathetic]] and [[Parasympathetic nervous system|parasympathetic]] areas of the [[Inferior hypogastric plexus|pelvic plexus]]. The lower vagina is supplied by the [[pudendal nerve]].<ref name="Dutta"/><ref name=GRAYS2008/>