vagina

Part two of a series on vaginal trainers from Caitlyn Tivy, a pelvic health physical therapist and health writer. This part of the series explains more about the specifics of using them.

Perhaps you’ve heard of dilators — also known as vaginal trainers — before, but you weren’t sure where to learn more about them. Maybe you’ve never heard of them, but you’re looking for ways to manage pelvic pain. Perhaps you’ve already tried using dilators, but weren’t very successful. You can read all about them here.

When it comes to our bodies and feeling good in them, it's usually better to listen and respond to what they are telling us than to tell them what to do.

A short, fast, sex ed summary of basic sexual anatomy.

You are not being unreasonable. I don’t think his response and behavior about the lube is fine. I don’t think it’s okay for him to tell you that not having sex isn’t a big deal for you, or to tell you how important sex is to your relationship for both of you. I don’t think it’s fine for him to be...

amenie358's question continued: I should mention that I've seen a gynecologist and she says there's no sort of physical impediment involved and that if I practice I'll be able to do it, but it's so uncomfortable. It's not getting easier. When I visit the gynecologist I have to be tanked up on valium...

This is definitely not a silly question. In fact, many people with vaginas experience the feeling of having to pee from stimulation inside the vagina by fingers, sex toys or a penis. Understanding your body and anatomy can help to explain why you feel like you have to urinate during sex, and also...

First and foremost, no matter what we call it, if masturbation (or any other activity, for that matter) feels pleasurable, that’s the most important thing. Regardless of the names we give things to put them in categories, our bodies are so unique in the way they work that these tidy little...

I'm not a doctor, but this sounds to me (as you say) like it could be an allergy to semen. But like I said, I'm not a doctor, and I can't diagnose you over the internet, possibly from thousands of miles away. You say that you are on the pill now, so please consider going back to the healthcare...

Assuming that you're engaging in manual sex -- hands or fingers engaged with your genitals, fingering being one term for that -- to express or explore your sexual feelings or desires, fingering IS sex. Just like intercourse can be sex, just like oral sex can be sex, just like full-body massage can...