Alright, class, let’s start with a little word association: sticky, wet, gush, shoot, trickle, slosh, drip, slippery, warm, secretion.
Blushing yet?
It is an exceedingly natural thing to produce fluids, yet for some reason it is a source of discomfort, insecurity and confusion for many. Today’s column deals with female fluids, but fear not, for next week shall be all about the dude side of things.
As cited from Aphrodite Women’s Health online, women often view the smell, taste, appearance and feel of their genitals (the vulva) negatively even though most men view these aspects positively. A quick preface on vocabulary: vagina only refers to the actual canal, whereas the word vulva encompasses the whole kitten caboodle. I will be using these words throughout.
I want to jump right into what makes vulvas slip ‘n’ slide. As cited by The-Clitoris.com, women have a prostate gland surrounding the urethra where the G-spot is located (although it is more of an area of spongy material: “the G sponge”).
The liquid, a fluid similar to what mixes with sperm to make semen in men, is called prostatic acid phosphatase and is emitted from a pore called the Skene’s gland next to the urethral opening. The average amount secreted is two tablespoons to an ounce (think shot glass).
Unless there is an issue of incontinence, a medical condition characterized by a lack of control over urination, this fluid is not urine.
Sometimes it does look like urine, especially in porn scenes. Apparently, actors who squirt chug a lot of water on set for scene-prep. Also, clenching one’s pelvic floor muscles can stop the flow, especially if the ejaculator is embarrassed, so if you want to ejaculate, do your Kegel exercises and relax!
In my own personal experimenting and from the recent Babeland sex talk, it is true that one can ejaculate without orgasm and orgasm without ejaculating. This is even explored in tantric sex. Fascinating!
Vulvas can be loud and sloshy. I became aware of this for the first time when a partner was manually stimulating me, so I had to ask, “Do you like that sound?” His answer, which turns me on even to this day, was, “Uh, yeah!” in an unmistakably honest tone that read as “duh.”
If you’re going down, you might relate to a reader’s comment on my oral sex column online that questioned how sanitary the vulva is.
There seems to be this sentiment that vulvas are a maze of folds, crevasses and disorientation. One wrong turn and you’ll never make it out. I don’t get that. There are two folds per side next to the vaginal opening: labia minora and labia majora (so it is more of a labia-rinth). And, okay, the clitoral hood might be a little confusing as well. But still, easiest labyrinth ever. David Bowie would NOT be impressed.
However, fluids can get into these vulva folds and make things a bit campy. Plus, since it’s not as out there and visible, vulvas are more difficult to clean than the more explicit (circumcised) penis. Health care providers usually encourage using a mild soap, if anything, when washing the vulva. The great news is the vagina is self-cleaning. So just say no to douching. As for menstrual fluids, the pH and taste changes during a girl’s period. These fluids can make great lube but a hell of a mess.
Speaking of lube, there is this weird negative connotation toward it, probably because the vagina is self-lubricating. However, there can be a lag time from action to lubrication. A vulva owner often needs to be warmed up before the juices start flowing. It is one of those things, like spontaneous boners, that cannot be controlled and should not be a cause of shame or insecurity.
There is a huge variety of lube flavors, viscosities and composition that are fun to experiment with. Babeland’s shop in Seattle lets you sample/taste them!
Check in next week for Professor Spongeworthy’s Man-Fluids 101 seminar.
Class dismissed. Now who wants a ruler spanking?
