Dry Sex

The other day, a post of mine mentioned “Dry Sex”. A lovely commentator repeated this idea in shock and asked “Why on earth?”.

Our culture seems to encourage women to be as “wet” as possible. From enough porno’s, erotica and, well, personal experience, a man takes pride in the “wetter” a woman is – as it shows how ‘turned on’ she is. Let alone the pain a woman would experience should her vagina be very dry during sex. Just look at the variety of lubes now adorning Pick ‘n Pay cosmetic shelves.

Here is “Why on earth”:

In some cultures (from Africa to Haitii, that I know of), men prefer a woman’s vagina to be dry during sex, as they believe this makes it tighter and hotter, and so more pleasurable for the man.

They also regard a dry vagina to be “cleaner”, as vaginal secretions are seen as dirty.

Some cultures believe that vaginal secretions indicate that a woman is sexually aroused, which may not be socially acceptable, and that a dry vagina is a sign of faithfulness. Women often are expected to be sexually passive, even to the physical extent.

To dry out a vagina, women use:
Herbs, bark, powders, cotton wool, tampons, paper, cotton cloth, newspaper or antiseptics to clean and dry the vagina.
For tightness and heat, substances that cause irritation are preferred including, in extreme cases, battery acid.
Antiseptics that are known to be used include Dettol, soap, salt solutions, or Betadine.
Chemical and other substances include toothpaste, washing powder, methylated spirits, vinegar, human urine, or baboon faeces.

This practice is extremely painful for women, but also is potentially very dangerous. It causes lacerations (breaks and tears) in the vaginal walls. And tears and breaks allow HIV to access blood streams. It also might lead to infections and permanent damage of the woman’s sex organs.
* Dry sex can cause a woman to bleed, providing a direct passageway for HIV to enter the bloodstream.
* Drying agents can also cause inflammations or lesions on a woman’s genitalia.
* Dry sex can increase the risk of HIV infection for men who have not been circumcised because a man’s foreskin is susceptible to tearing, creating a pathway for HIV infection.
(Page 28 – actually, a good document in HIV issues in general).

Women need education on this practice; to realise why it is extremely dangerous, how it aids in the spread of HIV, and that they have a universal right to control their bodies and sexual feelings (physically and emotionally).