Uncomfortable over Vulvas

[orangecat]

Since I started being a teen I've been ashamed of genitals, I was scared of seeing them in study books. When I first started watching porn I stopped being so scared of male genitals but I'm still really uncomfortable over female genitals. I can't touch directly my own vulva or have sex because I think my vulva is fragile. I don't know how to get over this fear. Any advice?

[Anya]

Hey there orangecat,

Welcome to the boards!

First want to just say how understandable this is. Getting used to your body as you grow and change is a tricky and sometimes uncomfortable experience. I want to offer you some readingswe have on anatomy to maybe get you a little more comfy with the big ides about how the body works if that sounds okay, and then we can absolutely talk more about any further feelings you have after that.

Quickies: Sexual Anatomy
Vulva, I Hardly Know Ya

Once you've given the articles a look, let me know if you got any thoughts or feelings you want to talk about.

[orangecat]

Hi Anya,
I have been reading these and I got very empathetic over the person who wrote that they were struggling with tampons, I am too! I got very uncomfortable reading descriptions of the genitals, now I think I understand them more but while reading about how the hymen breaks I got really anxious, I also get really nervous when people talk about pregnancy and childbirth, I don't know if these feelings will ever go away. Is there any way to get comfortable with all of these topics? Thank you.

[Anya]

Hey orangecate,

So the hymen actually doesn't "break" in the way many of us were taught that it does. The hymen is a membrane inside the vagina that stretches, and can potentially tear in small sections when penetrated by something like a tampon. It is totally reasonable to be scared of the risk of pain from these tears, but generally, if one practices relaxing their muscles as much as possible, and getting into more of a comfortable position like sitting or laying rather than standing, pain from insertion of a tampon or fingers may subside or not be felt at all. The most important thing is to practice this when you feel comfortable. There is truly no rush to do any of these things, and so many people decide they'd rather wait on tampons or not use them all together. This is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. for more info on the hymen, check out: My Corona: The Hymen & The Myths That Surround It.

I can totally also send you some of our info on pregnancy! Go ahead and check out the article below, as well as feel free to peruse the site for more. If you have any other topics you want more in-depth info on definitely let me know and i'm sure I can find something for you
Pregnancy And Delivery: Super-Basic Edition