7 Facts About The Vagina That Men AND Women Believe (That Can Hurt Your Sex Life)
Stop believing this stuff. Your vagina's better than that.
weheartit We spend a lot of time engaged in vagina thought. It dominates our lives early on, and continues for decades to come. It's shocking then how wrong we are about so much concerning this area of our body. In fact, pretty much everything you know is wrong.
Here are seven myths about your vagina that we are going to put to rest, once and for all.
Myth #1: Your vagina is dirty.
Fact: The vagina is a self-cleaning oven. No matter what Gwyneth Paltrow says, your vagina does not need a steam clean, and you certainly don't need to douche or use chemicals or soaps to clean out your insides.
This is because the vagina cleans itself out and is designed to maintain a healthy pH without the use of cleaning products that can cause more harm (like bacterial infections) than good.
"Just as your tears help to flush our your eyes, discharge ensures that your vagina is clean and healthy," says sexologist, Dr. Jess.
Myth #2: Vaginas taste "fishy."
Fact: A healthy vagina has a perfectly fine taste. It tastes like a vagina, says Jenny Block, author of O Wow: Discovering Your Ultimate Orgasm. Vaginas don’t need to be flavored; they are not artificial drinks or jello. They are vaginas and have the right to taste like vaginas.
Myth #3: The G-spot isn't real.
Fact: Even though it's been physiologically proven that there is no "spot" or "button" that miraculously causes a woman to orgasm when pressed, many professionals within the sexology industry still try to validate its existence.
"The problem with the concept of the G-spot and the constant use of the term is that it causes many women to feel that something is wrong with them when they believe that they may not have one, and therein lies the problem. Most people will also say, 'But hey, there is a spot, I've felt it and it works,' and that has some truth to it, but what they don't know is that they found the erogenous area subjective to that person, and it may not be in the same spot with the next one," says clinical psychologist Dr. Yvonka.
Myth #4: If you aren't "wet," you must not be turned on.
Fact: Many, many people still believe this myth, which can cause a significant amount of insecurity and a few trust issues for both women and men in the bedroom.
According to Dr. Yvonka, "Everyone's body is different and every vagina is different. It does not mean that you aren't turned on if you aren't wet. There are many factors that play into the increased or decreased production of vaginal lubricant and many of those are not within a woman's control per se — hormones, menstrual cycle, birth control, breastfeeding."
Being sexually aroused is an emotional and mental thing as much as it is a physical thing, even more so for a woman. So, if that thought happens to cross your mind, don't be afraid to ask.
Nine times out of 10, you could be wrong assuming that your partner isn't turned on enough can make you feel inadequate for no reason. If it happens to be the case, ask what they like, spend more time on foreplay, and always use lubricant.
Myth #5: You can only have an orgasm ONE way — penetration vs. clitoral.
Fact: No, no, and no. The human body — the vagina especially — is a wonderful and fascinating thing, and every time you spend some quality time with it (whether it be yours or someone else's), you may discover something new that can make you scream the big "O."
"Some women may say that they are only able to have an orgasm through penetration... but they or their partner are either not patient enough with clitoral stimulation or they may be too sensitive for direct stimulation. Even with penetrative sex, the clitoris is receiving stimulation through friction of the bodies rubbing together, and the combination of the clitoral stimulation and internal penetration causes that wonderful detonation. Most often so than not, the combination for vaginal penetration and clitoral stimulation simultaneously causes euphoric intense orgasms," advises Dr. Yvonka.
Myth #6: You have large labia or clitoris, so it means you're promiscuous.
Fact: Although excessive sexual intercourse can possibly stretch the genital skin on a few women, so can aging or poor skin elasticity; it does not mean that she is promiscuous.
"Some women are also just born with a different size of everything. One thing anyone should never do before sex, during sex, after sex, or about sex, is assume. It is one of the single most detrimental factors to most individuals' sexual confidence," says Dr. Yvonka.
Assumptions can be formed so quickly and do so much damage. Communication is the key to preventing that.
Myth #7: Using a vibrator will cause your clitoris or vagina to lose sensation.
Fact: This one is a tricky one, but one of the major myths about your vagina nonetheless. Using a vibrator for extended periods of time will not break your vagina or clitoris but it can cause damage to the nerves within the clitoris.
"The clitoris will tend to become sensitive and may not want to be touched for a while, but will eventually spring back in no time. The most important thing to realize is that sexual arousal and varying levels of sensitivity are affected by one's mindset, too. Sex happens in the brain, as well as the erogenous zones and genitals," says Dr. Yvonka.
Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer. Her work appears in dozens of digital and print publications regularly. Visit her on Twitter or email her at alywalansky@gmail.com.
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