Figuring out Female Sexuality.
Female sexuality and, more crucially, masturbation (or masturbation involving a vagina) is something that is never even vaguely covered in Sex Ed. And with most curriculum’s focused heterosexual, monogamous, predominant ‘male perspective’ teaching, its hard for women of any age to learn about this through anything other than friends. Masturbation is an intimate act that can bring immense pleasure and contribute to a healthy relationship with your body. What it means to masturbate, emphasising the importance of normalising this practice, allows people to truly connect with their bodies is something social taboos have prevented for a long time. By empowering you to feel comfortable with yourself and deconstructing social barriers, we aim to foster self-assurance and encourage open conversations about self-pleasure. This is a little, practical guide of things to consider before, during and after exploring yourself. Consider it your Sex Ed class on female sexuality that you never got.
The Science Stuff
Medically speaking, female masturbation involves stimulating various parts of the vulva, including the clitoris, inner and outer labia, vaginal opening, the vagina itself, and/or anus. Each person with a vagina’s preference is naturally very different, with some preferring indirect clitoral stimulation to avoid intense sensations. It’s necessary to highlight that most individuals experience pleasure through clitoral stimulation, rather than vaginal penetration alone, which is pretty much always overlooked in traditional Sex Ed. However, masturbation is obviously much more than just this practical description, its engaging with your body and exploring your physical self. So, allow yourself the time to properly explore and not be afraid to do so - you deserve this time to connect with your body.
Some Helpful Tips
Now, many of these things you will either already know or have learnt while exploring. But, to make sure all the basics are covered, here are some of the most important:
Hygiene: It is important to go to the bathroom after masturbation to reduce the risk of UTIs, as bacteria can travel around while you’re masturbating.
Lubrication: Incorporating lubrication can enhance pleasure and reduce any discomfort. opt for water-based or silicone-based lubricants, depending on your preference.
Variety and Alternatives: While sex toys can be enjoyable, it is important to occasionally give your usual toys a break, to understand the different types of pleasure your body can enjoy. Consider incorporating audio/literary erotica or consensual pornography as additional sources of stimulation.
Benefits of Masturbating (Because science has got your back on this)
There are plenty of scientific and also personal reasons why masturbating is a good thing. However, we’ve listed some of the few that we believe a really key to enjoying yourself. The focus required for a full orgasm can help alleviate stress, leading to relaxation and a positive mood. Orgasms also release endorphins, which contribute to stress reduction. As well as this, this relaxation and satisfaction that comes with this experience has been noted to promote better sleep. To Understand what brings you pleasure can increase self-assurance in your sexuality and enhance body confidence. Also, masturbation provides a gentle workout for the heart and pelvic floor muscles. It increases blood flow to the vagina, potentially countering discomfort related to menopause and relieving menstrual cramps. Oh, and you can have multiple orgasms at once, which makes any sort of pain relief even better. It goes so far that, Some experts believe that masturbation can temporarily strengthen the immune system, although unsurprisingly more research is definitely needed.
Normalising masturbation for those with vaginas allows us to develop a healthy relationship with our bodies and embrace our sexuality to its fullest extent. You can empower yourself to explore and enjoy the pleasures of your body without shame or stigma. Embracing masturbation promotes self-assurance, stress relief, improved sleep, increased intimacy, and a better understanding of personal desires. It is time to break the taboos surrounding this kind of masturbation, foster open conversations, and celebrate the beauty of self-pleasure as an essential aspect of female sexuality.
