Lube: Do you need some?

Personal lubricants: there is a lot of stigma and feelings of failure in cases where you need to use these.

Let''s break this down a bit. Using lube can lead to a more comfortable and enjoyable penetrative experience.

I''m going to speak about the vaginal canal here, which is lubricated thanks to factors such as hormone levels, where you are in your menstrual cycle, mental state, medication use, your natural lubrication patterns including cervical mucus production, arousal, and so much more.

Some people produce more, some people produce less. Some people are affected by lifestyle factors more, some less.

The stigma and misconceptions around the use of lube include things like smell, consistency, messiness, and the implication that there is something wrong with the vaginal tract or person (this last point often has connotations involving ageing).

Both libido and lubrication can vary wildly within short and long periods of time.

Don''t get me wrong: you still want to get an assessment to make sure there''s nothing else contributing to these changes especially if they''re persistent or drastically different than your usual! This is especially true when we think about how neglected and unsupported female libido tends to be compared to erectile dysfunction.

That said, lube is a tool. It''s a tool to facilitate a more pleasurable experience.

More people than you''d know/think use it! You might need to try a few to figure out the texture/feel/other factors that you like. You might need to account for other things as well, like a fertility-safe lube or one that isn''t oil-based because you use condoms, etc.