“No woman benefits from not learning or learning little about her body.”
(Jen Gunter, The Vagina Bible).
We start this article with some questions. Has anyone shown you what your body looks like? Did anyone teach you the importance of knowing it and how it works? Probably not.
Knowing your body and how it works, without fear or prejudice, will give you power, as a woman, over your health and well-being. Let's start by asking you the following: do you know the difference between vulva and vagina?
The vulva corresponds to the outside, that is, what touches your clothes, and the vagina corresponds to the inside (where the penis or fingers are inserted during sexual intercourse and where the baby is born). Fun fact: did you know that “vagina” in Latin means “sheath”?
Just like a woman, the vulva performs several functions (a true multitasker ). It protects the vaginal opening; it is an organ of sexual pleasure; copes with irritation of urine and feces; and allows the birth of a baby, regenerating as if nothing had happened.
The vagina, in turn, is a tube that connects the vulva to the cervix, being formed by a specialized mucosa, which is rough, which is why some women may notice wrinkles or “bumps” when they insert their finger into the vagina. .
Have you ever looked at your vulva in the mirror? The truth is that most women are not in the habit of doing this. However, if every day, when we leave the house, we see ourselves in the mirror, why don't we do the same in relation to our genitals (so that we are better able to identify any abnormalities, and more)? It is a tool for understanding our body, and it can be truly useful.
It is also important that you know that there is no normality in the aesthetics of the vulva. That is, there is no normal size of the lips (labia majora and minora), nor is there symmetry.
Keeping an eye on your vulva in the mirror, you will notice that, around the three orifices (urethra, vagina and anus) there is a layer of muscles – called pelvic floor muscles –, which are located at the bottom of your pelvis, and are also called of perineum.
The pelvic floor muscles have the following functions:
- The closure of the three orifices (urethra, vagina and anus), maintaining urinary and fecal continence;
- Sexual function;
- Support of the pelvic and abdominal organs.
It is crucial that you know how to contract and relax these muscles to ensure good pelvic health. Below you will find a brief explanation of how you can do it at home. Let's try?
Step 1: Place yourself in a comfortable position, with the mirror in front of your vulva (sitting or standing with one of your feet on a chair/bench).
Step 2: Insert a finger into your vagina.
Step 3: Now, squeeze your finger, as if you were closing the elevator doors.
Step 4: You should feel your finger squeezing and rising (close the elevator doors and go up the elevator).
Step 5: Slowly relax your muscles. You should no longer feel the pressure on your finger and it will go back down.
It achieved?
A final but very important note: if you feel pain when inserting your finger into your vagina, or if you are unable to perform this exercise, you should seek out a physiotherapist who specializes in pelvic health, so that you can find solutions that can help you have an intimate and healthy life. happier and healthier sex.
Text: Ana Sofia Pires, women's physiotherapist, co-founder of the FisioDuasMãos office and founder of the page @fisio_mulher_e_mae .
