You've probably heard this a thousand times by now, whether you're a guy or a girl. Boys will tell you, "you're so tight," while girls will tell you, "things are never the same down there when you give birth." As much as I've pondered this, such as how can a vagina that pushes out an entire human being and then snaps back to normal be the same vagina that loses elasticity, the myth that vaginas can become loose persists in my mind.
It doesn't change the fact that I constantly wonder if sleeping with someone new affects how tight I am. Maybe I should stop having sex for a while. Or maybe I should do more research on the products that claim to make your vagina tighter. It's a whole spectrum of "what ifs," and "maybes," and shame that it's past time we investigated here today and got the facts straight.
Are Some Vaginas Tighter Than Others?
Assuming we’re comparing two women of the same age.
The simple answer is no.
During sex, two main things happen in a woman's body. The first is hormonal production which stimulates the production of a lubricant fluid around the vagina. Or, what's more popularly called "being wet." The second is the vagina will naturally expand to allow room for penetrative sex.
The more the vagina lubricates and expands, the more "loose" she is. And when she's most loose, she won't feel any pain during sex. Rather, pleasure.
The reverse is true. That the lesser a woman lubricates and expands, the more "tight" a man will feel when he has intercourse with her. If she doesn't lubricate or expand at all, she will feel pain during sex.
This is the "assault" phenomenon behind rape. Because of the forceful nature of rape, a woman won't feel sexually stimulated. Rather, scared. In fear. As a result, her vagina will respond in the opposite way. It will constrict itself. And no lubricant will help to ease her into sex.
A man will literally have to force himself on her to penetrate the vagina, which induces pain and can sometimes result in bleeding.
Naturally lubricating is there to ease the process of intercourse. Some people may use artificial lubricants. Either way, it helps to reduce friction during sex. So, the idea that some vaginas are tighter than others is true. But only because of the extent of how "wet" and "expanded" the woman is.
Does Sleeping with Many People Make Your Vagina Loose?
No.
Vaginas naturally lubricate during sex. The vaginal muscles expand to allow for penetrative sex. Afterward, they snap back to their original shape.
The idea that vaginas become loose after having too much sex is a myth. So, let’s stop spreading the wrong information to shame women into refraining from having sex.
Do Vaginas Snap Back After Giving Birth
Birth is a different story because of the complications that arise from it. Some women will have a smooth birth process. Others may experience tearing of the vagina during birth. After which, a nurse will have to stitch the tear back up. There are also women who have to undergo a C-section to give birth.
If you have a natural birth process without any complications, the vaginal muscles will stretch to allow the baby to push through. It can take a while for the muscles to snap back to form. The exact time it takes differs, though, from woman to woman. However, the vagina should eventually return to form.
If a woman tears during birth, they will need stitches. Sometimes, the stitches are not done correctly. This can affect the integrity of the vaginal muscles, and thus, lead to failure of the muscles returning back to their original form. Still, that doesn't mean that sex will never be enjoyable. There are several options you can consider to help strengthen the muscles. You can try kegel exercises, pelvic tilt exercises, or neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES).
Does the Vagina ‘Loose’ Elasticity with Age?
Yes. Just like most muscles in your body, vaginal muscles tend to grow weaker with age, too. This can happen at approximately age 40 when your hormonal levels start to drop or when a woman hits menopause.
Remember that at no point, whether during sex, having sex too many times, childbirth, or age will the vagina ever permanently lose elasticity. You can check out our “Every Woman Has Them, So Why Continue to Sweep It Under the Rug?” article, and let us know in case of any questions or concerns!