Vaginal artery

The vaginal artery originates from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery, but can also arise from the uterine artery but is then termed as a vaginal branch of the uterine artery.

The vaginal artery descends upon the vagina, supplying its mucous membrane, and sends branches to the bulb of the vestibule, the fundus of the bladder, and the contiguous part of the rectum. The upper part of the vagina is supplied by the uterine artery. 

In some cases, it can provide inferior vesical branches which supply the inferior portion of the urinary bladder. The term inferior vesical artery is only used in males, where the inferior vesical artery is considered as the analoguous of the vaginal artery in female.

The vaginal artery latter anastomose with theses vaginal branches of the uterine artery and form with them two median longitudinal vessels, the azygos arteries of the vagina, one of which runs down in front of and the other behind the vagina.