Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!
Hi Aunt Vadge,
I fingered myself for the fourth time and was wet too, but afterwards it slightly hurts. What should I do?
Yours,
Hurting
Dear Hurting,
This is very common and almost always harmless – soreness after fingering usually just means a bit of friction, not damage.
The inside of the vagina actually has very few nerve endings12 – it’s the vulva, clitoris and the tissue near the entrance that are sensitive – so it’s easy to graze or press a wall a little too hard without feeling it at the time, especially when you’re aroused, because an aroused, blood-filled vagina cushions movements that might otherwise hurt, so things can feel good in the moment and only ache a bit afterwards.
That little soreness after your fourth go is most likely just that: a tiny bit of friction or a small nick you didn’t notice happening.
So the answer is simply to be gentle and give it a rest for a day or two until the soreness settles – keep your nails short and smooth, take your time to be properly aroused and wet first (you were this time, which is great), and stop if anything’s tender.
It should ease on its own quickly. If you ever get pain that keeps going, bleeding that won’t stop, or anything that worries you, see a doctor – but an occasional bit of after-soreness while you’re getting to know your own body is completely normal.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
- Hilliges M, Falconer C, Ekman-Ordeberg G, Johansson O. Innervation of the human vaginal mucosa as revealed by PGP 9.5 immunohistochemistry. Acta Anat (Basel). 1995;153(2):119–126.
- Li T, Liao Q, Zhang H, et al. Anatomic distribution of nerves and microvascular density in the human anterior vaginal wall: prospective study. PLoS One. 2014;9(11):e110239.
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
