Where is your cervix located?
Your cervix is an important part of your reproductive anatomy. Your cervix is located inside your pelvic cavity, anywhere from 3 to 6 inches inside your vaginal canal. It begins at the base of your uterus and extends downward onto the top part of your vagina. This place where your cervix bulges onto the uppermost part of your vagina is called your ectocervix.
Your vagina, cervix and uterus are located behind your bladder and urethra (organs that allow you to pee) and in front of your rectum and anus (organs that allow you to poop).
What does your cervix look like?
The word “cervix” comes from the Latin word meaning “neck.” Like a neck, your cervix is shaped roughly like a cylinder or tube and connects important body parts. While your neck connects your head to the rest of your body, your cervix connects your uterus to your vagina. Your cervix is wider in the middle and narrows at both ends, where it opens into your uterus (top) and vagina (bottom).
Your cervix consists of the following parts:
- Internal OS: The opening that leads to your uterus. Your provider may refer to your internal OS during pregnancy.
- Endocervical canal: A tunnel that extends from your Internal OS to your ectocervix.
- Ectocervix: The part of your cervix that bulges onto the top of your vagina.
- External OS: The opening that leads to your vagina.
Your cervix is a muscular, tunnel-like organ. It’s the lower part of your uterus, and it connects your uterus and vagina. Sometimes called the “neck of the uterus,” your cervix plays an important role in allowing fluids to pass between your uterus and vagina. It enables a baby to leave your uterus so that it can travel through your vagina (birth canal) during childbirth. The cervix is also a common site for cell changes that may indicate cancer.
Getting regular Pap smears allows your provider to screen for irregularities that may be signs of disease.
Who has a cervix?
People who are designated female at birth (DFAB) have a cervix. DFAB people include cisgender women — people who are DFAB and identify as women — and some transgender men and nonbinary individuals. Some intersex individuals have cervixes, too.
What is the functions of your cervix?
Your cervix is a passage that allows fluids to flow inside and out of your uterus. It’s also a powerful gatekeeper that can open and close in ways that make pregnancy and childbirth possible.
Your cervix plays important roles in the following:
- Menstruation: The period blood you shed each month as part of your menstrual cycle has to pass from your uterus and through your cervix before exiting your vagina.
- Pregnancy: During penis-in-vagina sex, or intercourse, your partner may ejaculate (release) sperm into your vagina. The sperm has to travel through your cervix to reach your uterus and fallopian tubes to fertilize an egg.
- Fertility: Your cervical mucus plays a role in how easily you can become pregnant. Around ovulation (when your body releases an egg), your cervix secretes mucus that’s thinner and less acidic than usual, making it easy for sperm to pass through to your uterus. As a result, sperm can reach your egg and fertilize it more easily.
- Vaginal delivery: Your cervix controls when a baby exits your uterus during childbirth. During pregnancy, your cervix secretes a mucus plug that seals entry to your uterus. Once it’s time for the baby to be born, the mucus plug dissolves, and your cervix becomes softer and thinner. Your cervix widens (dilates) so that the baby can exit your uterus. Your provider can estimate how long it will take for your baby to be born based on how much your cervix has dilated.
- Protecting your uterus: Your cervix prevents objects inserted into your vagina, such as tampons or diaphragms, from slipping inside your uterus.
The place where the endocervical canal overlaps with the ectocervix is called the transformation zone (TZ). The TZ is the part of your cervix where cell changes happen most. It’s the most common site for abnormal cells to grow in your cervix, indicating conditions like cervical dysplasia or cervical cancer.
How big is your cervix?
Your cervix is about an inch long. Cervical sizes vary, though. Generally, your cervix is larger if you’ve given birth. The cervix is larger among people in their reproductive years than those who’ve gone through menopause. Your cervix gets significantly shorter during childbirth to allow a baby to easily exit your uterus and enter your vagina.
Can you touch your cervix?
Yes, depending on the timing of your menstrual cycle. If you insert your longest finger into your vaginal canal, you should eventually reach a barrier preventing your finger from sliding in further. This barrier is your cervix. It may feel firm and tight, or it may feel soft and spongy. The location and texture of your cervix change depending on whether or not you’re ovulating. It’s the softest and hardest to reach during ovulation.
Take care that you only attempt to touch your cervix when you’ve washed your hands thoroughly with mild soap and warm water. Otherwise, you could expose your cervix to bacteria and cause infection.
What is your cervix made of?
Your cervix consists of strong fibromuscular tissue. Two main types of cells line your cervix:
- Glandular cells: These cells line the endocervical canal, the innermost part of your cervix.
- Squamous cells: These cells cover the ectocervix, the outermost part of your cervix, and your vagina.
These different cell types meet at the TZ, where cell changes frequently take place. This area is of particular interest to your provider during screenings for cervical cancer.