Have you fallen for these before?
Despite the fact that about half of the population have one, there is still a stigma surrounding conversations about vaginas.
Unfortunately, there are numerous myths out there, which are still widely believed by many. Researchers at female health app, Clue, want to bust the myths once and for all.
Here are some of the most common myths about vaginas.
A larger penis will permanently stretch out your vagina – FALSE
The vagina is made of highly elastic tissue, supported by a series of mostly horizontal muscles in the pelvic floor. During arousal, the vagina expands, which is why even though it can seem pretty shallow when inserting a tampon, it can still accommodate a rather sizeable penis.
Your vagina also changes shape with your cycle. The vaginal tissue is designed to stretch and, if it can return to its original size after childbirth, it is unlikely to be permanently affected by a larger penis.
Your vagina can be loosened by regular sex – FALSE
The muscles in the vagina relax when aroused and then return back to normal afterwards. No matter how many times it occurs, frequent penetrative sex is very unlikely to change the size of the vagina, or have an impact on sexual pleasure.
One thing that will have an effect on vaginal (pelvic floor) muscles is menopause, because our oestrogen levels drop meaning the muscles become less elastic.
Unnecessary strain can weaken your pelvic floor – TRUE
The pelvic floor muscles are there to help and protect the organs contained within the pelvis. When the pelvic floor is strong the organs are well supported and firmly in place.
They naturally weaken as we age but stress factors can cause the muscles to weaken too. Things such as weight gain, weight lifting, chronic coughing and pushing due to constipation can all have an impact. You can help counteract these with some regular pelvic floor exercises..
Vaginal tightness is central to sexual pleasure – FALSE
In fact, the vaginal muscles loosen and relax when aroused, allowing the penis to enter. When you feel anxious, the muscles become more engaged and “tighter”. So, rather than focusing on size or “tightness”, most people are better off considering factors that are more important for sexual pleasure, like arousal and lubrication.
You can strengthen the pelvic floor muscles with exercise – TRUE
There are things you can do to strengthen your vaginal muscles and these will greatly benefit your long-term health. To keep everything in good shape down there are a number of excersises you can do such as kegels and core strenghtening.
You’ve most likely heard of kegels as they’ve been common vernacular since Sex in the City’s Samantha did them at a cocktail bar sixteen years ago. A kegel is the action of engaging the pelvic floor muscles, holding for 5–10 seconds and releasing. This is done about 5–10 times in a row, a few times a day.
