How acquainted are you with your vagina? When it comes to sexual health, guys get an easier time of it – their junk is hanging out there, just waiting to be experienced. However, as a woman, most of your parts are internal, so you can’t exactly see what we’re working with. Nonetheless, the more you take control of your vaginal wellness, the better it will be for your sexual wellbeing. According to wellness writer Theresa O’Rourke, Editorial Director at Victoria’s Secret, in a ‘study published in the International Journal of Sexual Health, scientists found that women who had a positive view of their genitals were more comfortable in their skin, more apt to orgasm, and more likely to experiment in bed.’ So maybe it’s time that you got to know your vagina…
1. The Ins and Outs: O’Rourke explains, ‘If you’re standing naked in front of a full-length mirror, you’re actually seeing your vulva, the exterior portion of your privates, which was covered in hair before your aesthetician went hog wild with the wax and muslin. Think of your privates as an award-winning cast: You have your supporting actors (the vulva) and your marquee stars (the clitoris and G-spot). Every part is there to entertain your sexual needs, but to milk the best performance out of each one, you have to show them all a little love and attention.’ Debby Herbenick, PhD, a research scientist at Indiana University and the author of Because It Feels Good, notes, ‘Rubbing the pubic mound and outer lips readies the clitoris for stimulation.’
2. The Pleasure Centre: Herbenick points out, ‘We see only the head of the clitoris.’ This pleasure centre actually has the shape of a wishbone, with two legs that reach three inches into your vagina, just under the pubic mound and straight into G-spot territory. Ian Kerner, PhD, author of She Comes First, asserts that this makes the clitoris ‘the powerhouse of the orgasm. It connects with every single structure in the genitals.’ In order to tap into that powerhouse, Herbenick recommends woman-on-top and a twist on missionary called the coital alignment technique, as this ‘creates more friction against the clitoris.’ However, Diana Hoppe, MD, author of Healthy Sex Drive, Healthy You, warns that as you head toward climax, ‘the clitoris swells in size, which can make friction painful.’ If this occurs, try lightening up the stimulation a bit, and it should feel good again.
3. What Lies Beneath: O’Rourke details, ‘The G-spot is a spongy area about the size of a nickel, and it’s located an inch or two into the anterior wall of the vagina, just under the pubic mound—and you’ve got to feel it to believe it. It has bumpy, knotty striations similar to a walnut, and it demands a hands-on, tough-love approach…G-spot stimulation also calls for a tag-team approach. You can hit it by having your guy enter you from behind, but the best bet is to have him go down on you with his tongue and fingers.’ Kerner comments, ‘The G-spot’s nerves are contained in fattier tissue, so you have to provide deeper, firmer pressure to stimulate it…With his mouth on your clitoris, have him use his fingers in a come-hither motion to apply firm, rhythmic pressure to the G-spot.’ If you’re worried you haven’t had a G-spot orgasm, don’t stress about it. Kerner points out, ‘Many women wouldn’t isolate it and say, “Wow, I just had a G-spot orgasm.” It’s more like, “I just had an orgasm, and what he was doing felt really good.” That’s why most vibrators come with a clitoral stimulator and a G-spot stimulator. They work in tandem to create what’s commonly referred to as a blended orgasm.’