Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!
Hi Aunt Vadge!
On Friday my boyfriend and I were having sex and he accidentally slipped out and rammed into my clitoris. I bled a lot. I took a photo and it looks like I’ve torn from just below my clitoris, through my labia minora, to my vaginal opening – close to an inch long.
It’s stopped bleeding but it’s an open wound now. Is this something to freak out about? Do I need stitches?
Sincerely,
A very worried lady
Age 23, USA
Dear Very Worried Lady,
First, the reassuring part: the clitoris and inner labia are packed with blood vessels, which is why even a fairly minor cut there bleeds dramatically – the amount of blood isn’t a measure of how bad it is. And vulval tissue is some of the fastest-healing in the body, often without leaving a scar.
That said, an inch-long open tear is at the bigger end, so I’d get this looked at promptly – ideally in the next day or two, not next week.
The reason timing matters: a fresh cut that’s gaping (where the edges sit apart) heals far more neatly if it’s closed soon, with a couple of stitches or some special tape, before the edges start knitting in the wrong position.
Leave a gaping cut to heal open and you’re more likely to end up with a divot or a scar, which is exactly the ‘will it heal funny?’ thing you’re worried about. A sexual health clinic or GP can assess it in minutes, and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about – they see it often.
Go promptly if it’s still oozing, the edges gape, there’s a loose flap of skin, or it looks infected (hot, red, spreading, pus). If it’s a clean, shallow split with the edges already sitting together, it may well close on its own – but given the length, and that it’s right by the clitoris, a quick professional eye is the safer call.
Meanwhile, keep it clean with plain water (no harsh soaps or disinfectants – a little dilute Betadine is fine short-term), dab some pawpaw or coconut oil on the skin around the cut to keep it supple, pour warm water over yourself as you wee to stop the sting, and rest it completely: no sex, fingers or tampons until it’s healed, which can take a couple of weeks for a tear this size.
There’s more on vulval wound care here.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
