When can you have sex after a vaginal cut?

Author: Aunt Vadge
Qualified Naturopath | BHSc(N)

Last reviewed: July 7, 2026

Hi Aunty Vadge,

My boyfriend was fingering me and pulled his finger out too quickly, and cut me near the labia minora. The pain was excruciating, so I went straight to the accident and emergency department that night, and they advised me I should be fine. I cleaned the area and made an appointment with my doctor the next day, and they gave me a barrier cream and some antibiotics.

It’s a small cut. I constantly clean the area and apply the cream, wear cotton underwear, and wear nothing at night so air can get to it. I had it checked after I finished the antibiotics, and the nurse said it’s fine, that it has healed beautifully and all is well.

I’m now on day 13 and it feels loads better. There’s still some slight swelling, but not too much.

Can you advise me when I’m ready to have sex again? And is it true it can take months to heal properly? The tip of where the cut is still looks red.

Thanks,
Cut

Hi there Cut,

You can have sex again once the cut has fully healed and you can’t feel any pain or sensitivity there. A cut like this heals about as fast as a similar cut anywhere else on your skin, so if you know how deep it was, you can roughly expect it to behave like a cut of that size on your arm or leg. Skin heals quite quickly unless something is getting in the way.

In our clinic, helping people heal vulval cuts and tears from sex is familiar territory – the vulva mends well once the skin has closed and the tenderness has gone.

The redness is normal. New, healing skin tends to look pink at first and settles over the following weeks. It doesn’t usually take months, though a little lingering sensitivity while it settles is common.

While it heals, keep doing what you’re already doing: keep it clean, wear cotton underwear, and let it air overnight. Hold off on sex, fingering and masturbation until the pain and sensitivity are gone, so you don’t reopen it.

A few things are worth a doctor’s look rather than waiting out:

bleeding that’s heavy or keeps coming back
a deep or gaping split, or edges that won’t close
pain or swelling that’s getting worse instead of better
pus, spreading redness, heat or a fever
the cut still not healed after a couple of weeks

For more on looking after these, see healing vaginal and vulvar cuts and tears and how to heal vaginal fissures. If you find you’re prone to them, treating mystery vulvar or vaginal cuts and tears is worth a read too. A dab of our Delicate Cuts Cream can help a genuine cut like this along. If anything is still bothering you once it’s healed, you’re welcome to book an appointment.

Write back anytime and let us know how you go.

Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge

This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.