Dry vagina

[Tania]

I have been masturbating for around 5 years and still I never got wet down there, even after orgasm.I usually rub clit during masturbation and rarely finger pussy. Even after orgasm, pussy doesn't get wet and I am worried if this is normal or I have some issues with me getting wet. But, I can still orgasm. I am shy to ask this to my friends or siblings.
Please help me with this.

[Heather]

How much people self-lubricate varies a lot, from super-profusely to not at all. For a lot of people, it also isn't the same every day or from year to year. For instance, where people are at in their fertility cycle often changes that, but so do/can things like how aroused people actually feel, certain medications or our varied chemical balances when it comes to hormones.

Besides worrying there is something wrong, do you feel like there's anything wrong? Do you feel unwell in any way, or are you experiencing any kind of pain?

[Tania]

Thank you for the response. I don't feel any pain but I feel that my pussy is too dry and I have to use a lubricant while masturbating. Does clitoral orgasm cause wetness in vagina or only penetration cause wetness ?

[Heather]

Well, a lot of people use lubricants with masturbation or sex with a partner. Some out of need, but plenty because they just want it. Using lube isn't a problem, it's a healthy norm.

Your question is tricky for a couple reasons. For once, there's no such thing as clitoral orgasm. People use that term, I know, but it's actually not factual, and it's based in ignorance we have long since corrected. Orgasm is something that actually happens primarily in the central nervous system, not our genitals, but which we can feel in our whole bodies, potentially, including our genitals. And it's an involuntary response of the nervous system that often happens for people due to various ways of being sexual, including genital stimulation. Orgasm can be something where there's lubrication happening or it may not be. Same goes for various kinds of sex: when you say penetration, you probably mean something like vaginal intercourse. People sometimes self-lubricate during that sexual activity. Other times they don't.

The vagina lubricating itself happens for a few reasons. For once, separate from anything to do with sex, it's one way it cleans itself. It's also part of the fertility cycle. And then it can also happen when someone feels sexually excited or aroused, but it doesn't always, and for some people when it does, it does often, while for others it's less common. And that can also change during different times of life.

[Tania]

So Orgasm is basically felt in the brain and not in the pussy. What worries me is that I have to rely on lubricants to start with sexual activity and does using lubricant affects natural lubrication. I mostly had orgasm through clitoral stimulation and rarely used fingers or toys and would this have affected the natural lubrication. How can I improve the natural lubrication in my body ?

[Sam W]

Hi Tania,

Yep, orgasm can be a whole body experience, with the bulk of it happening in our nervous system, and us feeling it in different places. This article does a really good job illustrating what Heather is talking about: With Pleasure: A View of Whole Sexual Anatomy for Every Body

As for your concerns, neither using lube or masturbating in a particular way can affect your bodies' ability to produce its own lubricant. It sounds like your vagina may just be on the drier end of the spectrum, and if that's the case there's not really anything you can do to guarantee you'll suddenly produce more lubrication. Really, the simplest thing would be to make sure you always keep lube around so that you'll have it when you need it. Does that all make sense?

[Tania]

Thanks Sam and Heather. Now it makes much sense.

[Sam W]

You're welcome!