Vaginal lubrication
Encyclopedia
Vaginal lubrication is a lubricating
fluid that is naturally produced in a woman
's vagina
. Vaginal lubrication or moistness is present at all times, but production increases significantly during a woman's sexual arousal
in anticipation of sexual intercourse
. Without vaginal lubrication, sexual intercourse
would be painful to the woman, and sometimes artificial lubricants must be used to augment insufficient natural lubrication. The vagina has no glands, and therefore must rely on other methods of lubrication. While plasma seepage from vaginal walls due to vascular engorgement is considered to be the chief lubrication source, the Bartholin's gland
s, located slightly below and to the left and right of the introitus
(opening of the vagina), also secrete mucus
to augment vaginal-wall secretions. In addition, mucus secreted from uterine glands
superior to the vagina may trickle down to the vagina, lubricating it. Vaginal dryness is the condition in which this lubrication is insufficient.
, pyridine
, squalene
, urea
, acetic acid
, lactic acid
, complex alcohol
s and glycols, ketone
s, and aldehyde
s. It can vary in consistency, texture, taste, color, and odor, depending on sexual arousal
, the phase of the menstrual cycle
, the presence of an infection, certain drugs (legal or illegal), genetic factors, and diet.
Vaginal fluid is slightly acidic and can become more acidic with certain sexually transmitted disease
s. The normal pH
of vaginal fluid is between 3.8 and 4.5, whereas male semen
is typically between 7.2 and 8.0 (a neutral substance has a pH of 7.0).
, which is a type of sexual pain disorder. While vaginal dryness is considered an indicator for sexual arousal disorder
, male circumcision exacerbates female vaginal dryness during intercourse. Vaginal dryness may also result from insufficient excitement and stimulation or from hormonal changes caused by menopause
(potentially causing atrophic vaginitis
), pregnancy
, or breast-feeding. Irritation from contraceptive creams and foams can also cause dryness, as can fear and anxiety about sex.
Certain medications, including some over-the-counter antihistamine
s, as well as life events such as pregnancy, lactation
, menopause
, aging
or diseases such as diabetes, will inhibit lubrication. Medicines with anticholinergic
or sympathomimetic effects will dry out the mucosal or "wet" tissues of the vagina. Such medicines include many common drugs for allergic, cardiovascular, psychiatric, and other medical conditions. Oral contraceptives may also increase or decrease vaginal lubrication.
Older women produce less vaginal lubrication and reduced estrogen
levels may be associated with increased vaginal dryness.
can be applied to the vaginal opening and/or the penis to augment the naturally produced lubrication and prevent or reduce the discomfort or pain. More rarely, a vaginal suppository
may be inserted prior to intercourse
.
Oil-based lubricants can weaken latex and reduce the effectiveness of condom
s, latex gloves, or dental dam
s as either forms of birth control
or for protection from sexually transmitted disease
s, so water- or silicone-based lubricants are often used instead.
The use of an artificial lubricant can make sexual intercourse less painful for a woman, but does not address the underlying cause of the vaginal dryness itself.
. This involves the woman having sexual intercourse
after removing vaginal lubrication in some way. The rationale for the practice is that a dry vagina
is tighter than a lubricated vagina and supposedly increases sexual pleasure for the man. However, besides making sex painful for the woman, the practice is believed to increase the risk of transmitting sexually transmitted disease
s (STDs) for both partners. For instance, the risk of HIV
transmission is increased by lacerations in the vaginal tissue resulting from the lack of lubrication.
Lubrication
Lubrication is the process, or technique employed to reduce wear of one or both surfaces in close proximity, and moving relative to each another, by interposing a substance called lubricant between the surfaces to carry or to help carry the load between the opposing surfaces. The interposed...
fluid that is naturally produced in a woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
's vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
. Vaginal lubrication or moistness is present at all times, but production increases significantly during a woman's sexual arousal
Sexual arousal
Sexual arousal, or sexual excitement, is the arousal of sexual desire, during or in anticipation of sexual activity. Things that precipitate human sexual arousal are called erotic stimuli, or colloquially known as turn-ons. There are many potential stimuli, both physical or mental, which can cause...
in anticipation of sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
. Without vaginal lubrication, sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
would be painful to the woman, and sometimes artificial lubricants must be used to augment insufficient natural lubrication. The vagina has no glands, and therefore must rely on other methods of lubrication. While plasma seepage from vaginal walls due to vascular engorgement is considered to be the chief lubrication source, the Bartholin's gland
Bartholin's gland
The Bartholin's glands are two glands located slightly posterior and to the left and right of the opening of the vagina. They secrete mucus to lubricate the vagina and are homologous to bulbourethral glands in males...
s, located slightly below and to the left and right of the introitus
Introitus
The introitus is an entrance that goes into a canal or hollow organ. Introitus is another name for the vaginal orifice.Introitus has also been used for classifying uterine prolapse:*1st degree prolapse: cervix is in the vagina...
(opening of the vagina), also secrete mucus
Mucus
In vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucous fluid is typically produced from mucous cells found in mucous glands. Mucous cells secrete products that are rich in glycoproteins and water. Mucous fluid may also originate from mixed glands, which...
to augment vaginal-wall secretions. In addition, mucus secreted from uterine glands
Uterine glands
In the uterus are the tube-like uterine glands, lined by ciliated columnar epithelium.They are of small size in the unimpregnated uterus, but shortly after impregnation become enlarged and elongated, presenting a contorted or waved appearance.-Function:...
superior to the vagina may trickle down to the vagina, lubricating it. Vaginal dryness is the condition in which this lubrication is insufficient.
Composition
The lubricative fluid contains waterWater
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, pyridine
Pyridine
Pyridine is a basic heterocyclic organic compound with the chemical formula C5H5N. It is structurally related to benzene, with one C-H group replaced by a nitrogen atom...
, squalene
Squalene
Squalene is a natural organic compound originally obtained for commercial purposes primarily from shark liver oil, though plant sources are used as well, including amaranth seed, rice bran, wheat germ, and olives. All plants and animals produce squalene, including humans...
, urea
Urea
Urea or carbamide is an organic compound with the chemical formula CO2. The molecule has two —NH2 groups joined by a carbonyl functional group....
, acetic acid
Acetic acid
Acetic acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH3CO2H . It is a colourless liquid that when undiluted is also called glacial acetic acid. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar , and has a distinctive sour taste and pungent smell...
, lactic acid
Lactic acid
Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3...
, complex alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
s and glycols, ketone
Ketone
In organic chemistry, a ketone is an organic compound with the structure RCR', where R and R' can be a variety of atoms and groups of atoms. It features a carbonyl group bonded to two other carbon atoms. Many ketones are known and many are of great importance in industry and in biology...
s, and aldehyde
Aldehyde
An aldehyde is an organic compound containing a formyl group. This functional group, with the structure R-CHO, consists of a carbonyl center bonded to hydrogen and an R group....
s. It can vary in consistency, texture, taste, color, and odor, depending on sexual arousal
Sexual arousal
Sexual arousal, or sexual excitement, is the arousal of sexual desire, during or in anticipation of sexual activity. Things that precipitate human sexual arousal are called erotic stimuli, or colloquially known as turn-ons. There are many potential stimuli, both physical or mental, which can cause...
, the phase of the menstrual cycle
Menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is the scientific term for the physiological changes that can occur in fertile women for the purpose of sexual reproduction. This article focuses on the human menstrual cycle....
, the presence of an infection, certain drugs (legal or illegal), genetic factors, and diet.
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s. The normal pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
of vaginal fluid is between 3.8 and 4.5, whereas male semen
Semen
Semen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that may contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize female ova...
is typically between 7.2 and 8.0 (a neutral substance has a pH of 7.0).
Vaginal dryness
Insufficient lubrication or vaginal dryness in women can cause dyspareuniaDyspareunia
Dyspareunia is painful sexual intercourse, due to medical or psychological causes. The symptom is reported almost exclusively by women, although the problem can also occur in men. The causes are often reversible, even when long-standing, but self-perpetuating pain is a factor after the original...
, which is a type of sexual pain disorder. While vaginal dryness is considered an indicator for sexual arousal disorder
Female sexual arousal disorder
Female sexual arousal disorder , commonly referred to as frigidity, is a disorder characterized by a persistent or recurrent inability to attain sexual arousal or to maintain arousal until the completion of a sexual activity. The diagnosis can also refer to an inadequate lubrication-swelling...
, male circumcision exacerbates female vaginal dryness during intercourse. Vaginal dryness may also result from insufficient excitement and stimulation or from hormonal changes caused by menopause
Menopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
(potentially causing atrophic vaginitis
Atrophic vaginitis
Atrophic vaginitis is an inflammation of the vagina due to the thinning and shrinking of the tissues, as well as decreased lubrication...
), pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
, or breast-feeding. Irritation from contraceptive creams and foams can also cause dryness, as can fear and anxiety about sex.
Certain medications, including some over-the-counter antihistamine
Antihistamine
An H1 antagonist is a histamine antagonist of the H1 receptor that serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergic reactions...
s, as well as life events such as pregnancy, lactation
Lactation
Lactation describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her young. The process occurs in all female mammals, however it predates mammals. In humans the process of feeding milk is called breastfeeding or nursing...
, menopause
Menopause
Menopause is a term used to describe the permanent cessation of the primary functions of the human ovaries: the ripening and release of ova and the release of hormones that cause both the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the uterine lining...
, aging
Senescence
Senescence or biological aging is the change in the biology of an organism as it ages after its maturity. Such changes range from those affecting its cells and their function to those affecting the whole organism...
or diseases such as diabetes, will inhibit lubrication. Medicines with anticholinergic
Anticholinergic
An anticholinergic agent is a substance that blocks the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and the peripheral nervous system. An example of an anticholinergic is dicycloverine, and the classic example is atropine....
or sympathomimetic effects will dry out the mucosal or "wet" tissues of the vagina. Such medicines include many common drugs for allergic, cardiovascular, psychiatric, and other medical conditions. Oral contraceptives may also increase or decrease vaginal lubrication.
Older women produce less vaginal lubrication and reduced estrogen
Estrogen
Estrogens , oestrogens , or œstrogens, are a group of compounds named for their importance in the estrous cycle of humans and other animals. They are the primary female sex hormones. Natural estrogens are steroid hormones, while some synthetic ones are non-steroidal...
levels may be associated with increased vaginal dryness.
Artificial lubricants
When a woman is experiencing vaginal dryness before sexual activity, during which she produces insufficient vaginal lubrication, sexual intercourse may be uncomfortable or painful for her. A personal lubricantPersonal lubricant
Personal lubricants are specialized lubricants to reduce friction between body parts, or between body parts and other objects...
can be applied to the vaginal opening and/or the penis to augment the naturally produced lubrication and prevent or reduce the discomfort or pain. More rarely, a vaginal suppository
Suppository
A suppository is a drug delivery system that is inserted into the rectum , vagina or urethra , where it dissolves.They are used to deliver both systemically-acting and locally-acting medications....
may be inserted prior to intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
.
Oil-based lubricants can weaken latex and reduce the effectiveness of condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s, latex gloves, or dental dam
Dental dam
A dental dam or rubber dam is a rectangular sheet of latex used in dentistry, in particular endodontic therapy, to reduce contamination, and where dental composite are being placed, due to the need for the area to remain dry during filling placement...
s as either forms of birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
or for protection from sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s, so water- or silicone-based lubricants are often used instead.
The use of an artificial lubricant can make sexual intercourse less painful for a woman, but does not address the underlying cause of the vaginal dryness itself.
Dry sex
Some women practice dry sexDry sex
Dry sex is a sexual practice of people having sexual intercourse with the woman not having vaginal lubrication. Vaginal lubrication can be removed by using herbal aphrodisiacs, household detergents, antiseptics, by wiping out the vagina, or by placing leaves in the vagina besides other methods.The...
. This involves the woman having sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
after removing vaginal lubrication in some way. The rationale for the practice is that a dry vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
is tighter than a lubricated vagina and supposedly increases sexual pleasure for the man. However, besides making sex painful for the woman, the practice is believed to increase the risk of transmitting sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s (STDs) for both partners. For instance, the risk of HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
transmission is increased by lacerations in the vaginal tissue resulting from the lack of lubrication.
See also
- Toxic shock syndromeToxic shock syndromeToxic shock syndrome is a potentially fatal illness caused by a bacterial toxin. Different bacterial toxins may cause toxic shock syndrome, depending on the situation. The causative bacteria include Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes...
, linked to the use of tampons which excessively dry up the vaginal lubrication - SpinnbarkeitSpinnbarkeitSpinnbarkeit , also known as fibrosity, is a biomedical rheology term which refers to the stringy or stretchy property found to varying degrees in mucus, saliva, albumen and similar viscoelastic fluids...
, the stretchiness of cervical mucus associated with ovulation; one property of this secretion is to lubricate the vagina - Urethral spongeUrethral spongeThe urethral sponge is a spongy cushion of tissue, found in the lower genital area of women, that sits against both the pubic bone and vaginal wall, and surrounds the urethra.-Functions:...
- Skene's glandSkene's glandIn human anatomy , the Skene's glands are glands located on the anterior wall of the vagina, around the lower end of the urethra. They drain into the urethra and near the urethral opening and may be near or a part of the G-Spot...
- Bartholin's glandBartholin's glandThe Bartholin's glands are two glands located slightly posterior and to the left and right of the opening of the vagina. They secrete mucus to lubricate the vagina and are homologous to bulbourethral glands in males...
- G-spotG-spotThe Gräfenberg Spot, often called the G-Spot, is a bean-shaped area of the vagina. Many women report that it is an erogenous zone which, when stimulated, can lead to strong sexual arousal, powerful orgasms and female ejaculation...
- AFE zone
- Female ejaculationFemale ejaculationFemale ejaculation refers to the expulsion of noticeable amounts of clear fluid by human females from the paraurethral ducts through and around the urethra during or before an orgasm...