Gynecologist Dr. Caroline Colin Explains Why Sex Is Essential To Health - Exclusive
Having a healthy, satisfying sex life is one of the basic needs of all humans, and Dr. Caroline Colin — a gynecologist and sex expert — says that it's just as fundamental as any other bodily function. She says that having a good sex life can improve people's physical and mental health and increase their overall satisfaction with their lives.
There's plenty of research to back up how crucial sex is for our health. According to WebMD, sex can boost immune system function, lower blood pressure, lower the risk of heart attack, relieve pain, and reduce stress. Psychology Today states that sex also has a myriad of mental health benefits including improving self-esteem, fostering intimacy, preventing loneliness and isolation, and even improving cognitive functioning.
So as Dr. Colin puts it, sex is a great way to "maintain health and live your best life."
Unfortunately, many people, especially people with female anatomy, face a lot of barriers to having a satisfying sex life. In an exclusive interview with Health Digest, Dr. Colin talked about some of those barriers and how she helps people overcome them.
Taking the shame out of female sexual pleasure
Though having good sex is essential to a healthy and happy life, many women and people assigned female at birth have been taught that their sexual wants, needs, and pleasure are not important. Some have even been taught that their sexuality is shameful.
"We live in a puritanical society that has left women feeling ashamed of sexual needs and uncomfortable about needing and wanting pleasure," Dr. Caroline Colin explained. "A satisfying sex life is as basic as nutrition, exercise, and sleep, but it is ignored or — even worse — frowned upon."
This view of sex and female sexual pleasure leads many women and people with female anatomy to accept unsatisfying sex lives because they're nervous about advocating for their pleasure. To combat this mindset, Dr. Colin takes all of the stigma out of sex and female sexual pleasure when she talks about sex with her patients. Then, she talks to her patients about how important pleasurable sex is for their physical and emotional well-being so they understand that it's not only okay to advocate for their pleasure, it's also necessary.
Understanding female orgasms
Even when people with vaginas feel comfortable advocating for their sexual pleasure, they might not know how to have sex in a way that centers their pleasure. Often, penetrative sex doesn't provide enough clitoral stimulation for a satisfying orgasm.
"The sole function of the clitoris is the female orgasm," Dr. Caroline Colin explained. "It is there to make us feel good. The clitoris is located above the vaginal opening, and you can only see a small part of the clitoris, as the majority of it is internal. For women and people with vaginas, orgasms most commonly come from the clitoris."
Many people with female anatomy don't know how to get that clitoral stimulation while having sex with male partners, which creates a massive disparity in who orgasms during male-female sex. "Only 33% of women reach an orgasm every time during male-female sexual encounters versus 75% of men, and 30% of women have trouble climaxing at all," Dr. Colin revealed.
She suggests experimenting with different sexual positions to get clitoral stimulation during penetrative sex. If that doesn't work, women and people with vaginas can use their own fingers or a sex toy to stimulate the clitoris. For women dealing with sexual dysfunction, therapies like the Cliovana soundwave therapy can be used to increase the chances of achieving orgasm.
For more information about how Cliovana can help you have better orgasms, check out their site at www.cliovana.com.