Reasons Why S*_x Can Be Painful : Girls And Boys Cli ck To Read 18+ only

here are so many ways for us to de scribe s**x: exciting, thr illing, empowering, sp *ine-t ing*ling, s*xy, (or"gas*mic?)—notice how we didn't mention "pa*inful" or "st*in ging." You get the point. S*"x should always feel pleasurable (unless, of course, you' re into some BD.SM... ). But if you're experiencing discomfort in your net*her

regi*ons, abandon ship until you figure out what the hell is going on down there. To suss out your potential hangups, we spoke to s**xolo*gist (and author of A Wom*an's Guide to S**ual Hea"lth ) to save your va"gi*a and your se**x life. Here, all your problems expl*ained—and how to fix them. You're not lub**ricated enough Even though your va*gi"na is a natural self-lub*ric*ator, if you're not turned on enough or bo*ozed too much at the bar, you could suffer from dr*yn*ess. Just use lube, or for chr*onic issues, a va*g*nal m*ois*tu*rizer like Replens . You're allergic to your s**x toys or products While we're on the topic, you can't just go to the dru*gsto"re and buy the cheapest thing on the shelf. Lu*bri"ants are made with different chemicals, which can throw off your v*gi*na's pH balance—the same goes for.

products like latex co*nd*ms. If you feel any sort of irrit*ation after use, try to stick to "natural"-based stuff (we hear you, Goop ) and see how that fares with your body. You have ingrown hairs Sometimes a botched bik'ini wax can leave you with unple"asa"nt pim*ples, which can be painful when there's fri*ti*on. Not much you can really do—except load up on a skin-soot*hing ser"um and wait it out. You're using the wrong positions Bla*me kama sutra books for introducing you to how-the-hell-do-they-contort-their-bodies-like-that s**x posi*tions. It's always good to ex*peri*ment and deviate from your go-to rou*tine, but the Butter Chu*rner (Go*ogle it) might not be for everyone. Keep in mind that a guy's curva*ture can make your go-to moves feel a little off from time to time. You have a s**xu*al dys*func*tion Yes, though it's not often talked about, some wo*men (often in their te*ns or early twe*nties) ex"peri*ence a disor*der known as v*gin**is*mus—where the va*gi*al m*sc*les involuntarily sp*sm during s**x and make penet*rati"on painful. Sh*oo*ting pain during s** x can also be at*tri buted to hyp*era*ctive nerve fi*b*ers around the vu*lva. Thankfully, there's good therapy available for both, through the use of dila*tors or pain-blo*cking medications. Your partner is too big No guy is ever too large-and-in-charge to wear a co*n"do*m. P*eri*od. But when it comes to pene*tra* tion , a man's love g. un might not fit into your, er, pi#stol box. In a sense, you need to be "lo*os*ened" up by trying simple s* *x mo ves fir'st—thi'nk mis#sio nary—or turning yourself on more (hello, fore'play!). But don't freak out by his endo*wment—your va*gi*na won't be per*ma*ne*ntly stre*tc*hed by it. You just gave birth First off, if your li"b"ido can bou*nce back right away after chil*db*irth, GO YOU. But caution: Since your va*g*na was basically just de*stro*yed—love ya, [insert baby name]—it'll take your body some time to get back to its former glory. Some doctors suggest a four to six week window after chil*d bi*rth as a good time frame to get your gro*ove back, but it all depends on your body. Yeast infections s'u'ck. Fi*broi*ds on your uterus and pelvic inf*"lam*mat"ory dise"ase s'u'ck. He"rpes s*ucks. Know who you're sle*ping with and get tested regularly if you're not in a mo*no*gam*ous relationship, but also take comfort in knowing there are plenty of or*al and v*gi*na*l med*icat*ions that can treat those. You're a vi*g*in Um, Steve Carell was one for 40 years—not really, but you get the idea. If you've been saving yourself for the right moment, you can probably expect some minor disco. mfort. After all, the hy£men is a physical ba*rrier of sorts blocking entry. Here's another moment where easing into s**x can be a game-changer. You haven't had s* ex in a long time S** x slu mp, dry sp ell, whatever you want to call it, the struggle's real. We're not saying you should jot down s**x in your weekly planner, but just know it's totally normal for it to hurt if you haven't done it since Game of Thrones season 1. You jump right into s **x Forget every Lifetime/N*icho*las Sparks/ Fifty Sha*d*es of Gr*ey s**x scene you've seen. Diving head first (interpret as you wish) into s**x can create unnecessary friction between your va*gi*na and his ma*nh. oo d. Take a cue from a wise tor t oise: Slow and steady wins the race.