I was reading your article on loose and tight vaginas. Since I turned 30, I’ve noticed that I feel tighter—and not just during sex but also when I insert a tampon or my NuvaRing (for birth control). I see my OBGYN regularly and recently. I tried to ask about this but we were discussing other things and he forgot to answer this question and I forgot to re-ask. What can this be caused by? Why am I feeling tighter?
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Why do you feel tighter since turning 30? The short answer is: I don’t know.
But here are some thoughts: As I mentioned in the article you read, vaginal tightness or looseness usually has to do with the relative constriction or relaxation of vaginal tissue, which is usually tightly folded, but relaxes somewhat during sex, and relaxes a great deal during childbirth to allow the baby out. If you feel tighter, here are some possibilities:
• Have you gained weight? Weight gain might involve having a greater amount of lower abdominal tissue, which could press on the vagina and crunch it somewhat, making things feel tighter. If so, weight loss might help.
• Are you unusually stressed? If you feel more stressed for any reason—because of your relationship, job, family, money worries—that stress can cause muscle constriction. Some people locate that kind of stress in the muscles around the neck, which can become very tight. It’s also possible that stress may have tightened your vaginal musculature. If so, then relaxation regimens might help: meditation, yoga, exercise, or sex therapy.
• It’s also possible that you may have developed one or more fibroids. These are benign (i.e. NOT cancerous) growths in the vaginal wall that some women develop after 30. You might ask your gynecologist to check for them. Most fibroids subside on their own at menopause, but if they grow large and/or become painful, they can be removed surgically.
There may be other reasons I haven’t thought of, but these are my best guesses.