Vaginas! Many people in the world have a vagina, whether they’re a man or woman. And yes, men can have vaginas. Chances are, at least a few people reading this informative article have a vagina or are trying to learn more about vaginas.
Now, we’re going to direct a bit of shade at the educational system, specifically in the U.S. Sex Ed hasn’t exactly been the United States’ strong suit.
For example, according to Scholars.org, they cite the United State has having only three policies when it comes to sex: Abstinence-Only, Abstinence-Plus, and Comprehensive curriculum. “Abstinence-Only” in it’s basic form is how to not have sex until marriage and is touted as the one of the only morally good ways of leading life. “Abstinence-Plus” is a mix of curriculum about sex and contraception, but still promote abstinence. “Comprehensive curriculum” is a healthy dose of sex education, and teaching young kids that sex is a normal part of life.
It doesn’t evoke shame like the first two, and is a more effective way of teaching sex to children. The article states that the U.S. usually doesn’t get evidence-based or value-neutral education, which causes uneducated young teens and adults about sex, which in turn, causes cluelessness about vaginas specifically.
DISCLAIMER: In this article, we’ll be discussing a mix of vagina myths, and myths that involve a vagina and sex. There will be mentions of religion, and breaking down harmful beliefs about vaginas. There’s also brief mentions of rape and sexual assault.
Whether you’re a man or woman, you’ve got to know more about your genitals. So let’s get started.
The first one is one of the most common one that men, and even women don’t know. It’s an incredibly small thing, but still, many people don’t know this.
A vagina has three openings.
There’s a ton of other parts of the vagina that don’t just include the vaginal opening. Most people use “vagina” as an all-encompassing term for the genitalia, but there’s different names for different things.
The first opening is the urethral opening, or otherwise known as the bladder opening. It is located in between the clitoris and the vaginal opening. This is where you pee out of! This is also the opening that a lot of people confuse for the vaginal opening.
The second is the most obvious: the vaginal opening. This is where you would insert any dildos, vibrators, fingers, or penises. This is also where you push a baby out of! You do not pee out of this opening, but periods do come out of here.
The third opening is the anus. We’re pretty sure we don’t have to tell you what this is for.
The very concept of virginity is what you make of it. According to Planned Parenthood, virginity can mean different things to different people. For example, some people think rape and sexual assault don’t take away your virginity. If you’ve had consensual sex, then you’ve lost your virginity. Some people also don’t think having done anal or oral sex means you’ve lost your virginity.
A hymen is the fleshy tissue that’s located at the opening of your vagina, for those who may not know. It covers part of the vaginal opening, not all of it.
Coming back to the point, this also means that many people believe that once you’ve torn your hymen in sex, then you’ve lost your virginity. However, this isn’t really the case.
Here’s several ways that you can break your hymen, according to SELF.com!
If your hymen breaks while your bicycling, does that mean you’ve lost your virginity? Not exactly, and certainly not to you. Some people may have been born with a naturally opened hymen, or may not’ve been born with one at all.
Okay, a lot of men are under this assumption. Let’s dispel this myth right now.
No, vaginas do not become loose and remain loose after a lot of sex.
According to Medical News Today, sex does not have a lasting impact on the vagina. In fact, there’s no evidence that suggests that a lot of sex causes a vagina to become loose over time.
It’s stretched temporarily before, during and after sex, but then it returns to its original shape. However, as a person with a vagina ages, the pelvic muscles weakens, which may make that feeling of looseness.
A Pap smear describes the process in which the vaginal opening is widened via a speculum, and the cervix is lightly scraped to collect cells. A cervix is the lower end of your uterus that’s at the top of your vagina. This process is done around the time when you start becoming sexually active, or when you turn 21.
A Pap smear is usually done to detect cervical cancer early on!
Again, virginity is a social construct. What virginity means to you doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the same for other people. For most people, getting a Pap smear is simply a medical procedure.
The important thing to note here is that Pap smears are incredibly important for your health. If you’re 21 through 29, if your first test comes back normal, then your doctor might tell you to wait three years for another test.
As for tampons, they’re used to stop period blood flow. You insert it into your vagina. You can also insert menstrual cups or Flex Discs, which can be inserted into the vagina and tucked into the pelvic bone. If you’re not comfortable with tampons, a less invasive option includes pads.
Many people think that tampons make you lose your virginity. They’re simply used to catch period blood.
Nope! You need 0 products. The vagina is an organ that can clean itself. According to Medical News Today, attempting to use products that clean the vagina can actually make the health of your vagina worse. Douching may cause inflammation and alter vaginal pH, so it’s recommended not to use anything to clean it.
This then leads into our next myth…
Vaginas produce discharge.
This is a scientific fact. According to the same article by Medical News Today, vaginas produce discharge that keep your vagina happy and healthy. A vagina can also have a slight odor to it, so to try and eliminate any odor isn’t going to work, and may not result in a healthy vagina.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all discharge or odor is good.
If you’re producing yellow or white discharge, or even chunky discharge, then please consult a doctor! The same goes for if you’re smelling a fishy odor.
Nope, nope, nope, and nope. Having vaginal sex isn’t the only ways of experiencing an orgasm. There’s also the clitoris to think about!
The clitoris is located near where the inner labia meets and forms a clitoral hood, and is one of the cooler ways to experience pleasure. It’s really only there to make you feel good! Many people stimulate near or on the clitoris during masturbation to make themselves orgasm.
You can also stimulate the clitoris during sex as well! Use a vibrator during sex; this can enhance your experience much more. If your partner wants to join in on the action, it’s all the more enjoyable.
Of course, anal sex is another way to reach an orgasm as well.
Only sometimes is it okay to just go ahead with your day right after sex. Peeing after sex is a habit you should definitely get into if you have a vagina, though.
In an article by Insider, interviewing gynecologist Dr. Alyssa Dweck, they detail the reason why peeing after sex is important. First off, peeing after sex reduces the risk of getting a urinary tract infection. It helps cleanse the urethra from bacteria. And who wants a urinary tract infection, anyways?
The same goes for vagina-on-vagina sex as well. If you, a vagina-having person, have sex with another person who also has a vagina, you both should pee after sex.
Dweck states that this is because the vagina is closer to the rectum than a penis, which is why people with penises don’t need to pee after sex. The urethra, vagina, and rectum are all two close for comfort, hence the peeing.
It’s just normal for you know about your own body parts. Sometimes parents and family members restrict that kind of knowledge because of their beliefs.
Regardless of your beliefs, facts are facts, and knowing what’s up with your body is a good thing. Knowing about your vagina is a good thing.
This is more referencing things like cervical cancer, as well as STD’s, UTI’s, and any other sexual diseases that you may get. Knowing about your vaginal health and sex education can prevent a lot. So you’ve gotta pay attention to what you’re feeling and whats happening to your vagina.
Welp, it’s the end of this Sex Ed lesson. Hopefully you’ve learned a lot about vaginal health, and learned about what’s going on with your vagina. And hopefully this was informative enough so you’re not left clueless anymore.
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