{"id":40441,"date":"2023-05-18T09:21:11","date_gmt":"2023-05-18T07:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=40441"},"modified":"2024-10-30T05:14:24","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T04:14:24","slug":"vaginal-wetness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/vaginal-wetness\/","title":{"rendered":"WAP: The Problematic History of Vaginal Wetness"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the words of the great Cardi B \u201cNow get a bucket and a mop, that’s some wet ass pussy\u201d. Vaginas get wet. It\u2019s one of the many wonderful things they do. If you have a vagina, I hope you embrace its wetness.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t, we understand. People with vaginas have been told to be ashamed of their bodies, to hide them, or that they\u2019re gross. Yet at the same time, they\u2019re also sexualized and commodified. What a conundrum!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of shame around vaginal wetness, even though it\u2019s a basic biological function. Why do vaginas get wet in the first place, where did this societal shame come from, and how do you embrace your WAP? I hope you brought your bucket and a mop because we\u2019re about to find out!<\/span><\/p>\n

Why and How Do Vaginas Get \u201cWet\u201d?<\/b><\/h2>\n

We\u2019re going to teach you something you probably didn\u2019t learn in biology class. What exactly is vaginal wetness, or lubrication?<\/span><\/p>\n

Vaginal lubrication is a part of <\/span>physiological sexual arousal<\/span><\/a> in people with vaginas. Lubrication starts from the cervix and secretions from the Bartholin glands. When you\u2019re getting turned on, or experiencing arousal, there is increased blood flow to the pelvic area. This causes an average of 3-5 ml of fluid to leak across vaginal mucosal cells. Vaginal fluid is very similar to blood minus red blood cells and other structures that are filtered out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, arousal is complicated and more nuanced than a physiological function. That\u2019s why you can get wet without being aroused, and you can be aroused without getting wet. We\u2019ll tell you here and now \u2013 unless you have discharge with a strong odor, itch, or pain, there\u2019s no such thing as too much lubrication during arousal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The History of Shaming Vaginal Wetness<\/b><\/h2>\n

You\u2019ve probably heard of the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who many consider the father of medicine. While he may have contributed a lot to the evolution of medicine, he also had some weird views on vaginas.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He compared the gynecological structures to riverbeds, which is pretty cool, albeit anatomically incorrect, essentially saying <\/span>the female body is a microcosm of the earth<\/span><\/a>, with all its water channels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When talking about arousal, he said that women ejaculate from their bodies (true). They also sometimes ejaculate into their uterus, causing the uterus to become moist. Nope, that\u2019s not how it works buddy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He also said the female body is spongy, loose, and capable of absorbing lots of fluid, which can cause an over-wetness. This fed into the idea that women are physically inferior to men because they\u2019re more \u201cwet\u201d. It was believed that the purpose of menstruation was to drain the excess fluid from the body to prevent a dangerous build-up. What?!<\/span><\/p>\n

Medical practitioners created different therapies to help \u201crelieve women of their wetness\u201d, likely causing long-term damage. Things have gotten better for people with vaginas, but this shame has persisted.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

WAP Shaming Today<\/b><\/h2>\n

It didn\u2019t end with Hippocrates, we see shame around vaginal wetness all over. In the media, on the shelves of stores, and in our relationships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

People still think that their vagina is too wet, that it smells, or that it\u2019s dirty. Flipping through a magazine, social media, or TV can add more fuel to the flame. Content on keeping your underwear clean is just one of the many examples of why people are ashamed of normal vaginal discharge and wetness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The feminine hygiene industry has perpetuated shame around vaginal wetness by selling products like douches and cleansing wipes. <\/span>The vagina has its own incredible microbiome<\/span><\/a>, which is self-cleaning. These feminine hygiene products are completely unnecessary and can lead to vaginal imbalances and infections, and can ironically \u2013 impact your sex life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your current relationship or relationship history can lead to insecurities about vaginal wetness. If a partner has ever commented or complained about your wetness, whether it was on your body or the bed, you can carry that with you, creating shame.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What if I Don\u2019t Have a Wap?<\/b><\/h2>\n

As ashamed as people have been made to be about their WAPs, there\u2019s also shame around having a DAP, aka vaginal dryness. People with vaginas sometimes just can\u2019t win (in the eyes of society).<\/span><\/p>\n

Just like vaginas being wet are normal, it\u2019s also common for people to experience vaginal dryness. <\/span>Vaginal dryness<\/span><\/a> is most commonly caused by changing hormone levels during menopause, but can also be caused by lower estrogen levels after pregnancy, or from certain medications or medical conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you want to address your vaginal dryness, you may want to consider hormonal medication, changing medications that may be affecting your vagina, or addressing underlying health issues. Another great tool is lube! <\/span>Using a personal lubricant<\/span><\/a> can help you enjoy your sex life, no matter your level of WAP-ness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even if you do tend to get wet more often than not, you still might experience vaginal dryness after you\u2019ve been having sex for a bit, or it may take some time for you to get wet. No matter how wet your vagina is, anyone can benefit from using a personal lubricant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Embracing Your Vagina<\/b><\/h2>\n

With centuries of weird ideas about the female body trickling down into our current views, it can be hard to accept your body, let alone embrace it. Learning to love your vagina and its wetness (or lack thereof) can come down to two things:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Understanding it\u2019s just a body part and anything it does or doesn\u2019t do is merely a function of biology.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. It\u2019s an incredible part of the body that has its own microbiome, can carry and birth life if you choose to do so, and is capable of creating immense amounts of pleasure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Vaginal wetness is nothing to be ashamed of. You\u2019re not dirty or unhygienic or \u201cless than\u201d. You\u2019re a normal human with a body part doing what it was designed to do. Let\u2019s normalize all things body related. We\u2019re all on this planet together, WAP or no wap.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In the words of the great Cardi B \u201cNow get a bucket and a mop, that’s some wet ass pussy\u201d. Vaginas get wet. It\u2019s one of the many wonderful things they do. If you have a vagina, I hope you embrace its wetness. If you don\u2019t, we understand. People with vaginas have been told to be ashamed of their bodies, to hide them, or that they\u2019re gross. Yet at the same time, they\u2019re also sexualized and commodified. What a conundrum!\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232,"featured_media":40468,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,1244],"tags":[669],"coauthors":[1028],"class_list":["post-40441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sexual-health","category-womens-health","tag-sexual-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe History of Vaginal Wetness \u2013 And How to Embrace It<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vaginal wetness has been shamed for their bodies for centuries. 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