Have you ever queefed? Bet you didn't think anyone was going to ask you that question today.
Yes, you probably have queefed. It's cool " queefing is a perfectly normal bodily function. In fact, a study conducted in Iran reveals that at least 20% of women have experienced vaginal flatus, and 92% of them felt embarrassed when it happened during sex. Dr. Ashley Schiliro explains, "The vagina is a small space. During sex, movement, or other activities, air gets trapped inside. Queefing is that air being released." You know what they say: what goes up must come down.
What causes queefing?
A queef is often referred to as a "vaginal fart," though, that's just bad marketing. Not only does the air escape from two different places, but it's caused by different things. The unscented air trapped inside a vagina, causing the queef, is a result of an outside source (a penis or a downward-facing dog, if you will).
Flatulence, on the other hand, is created inside the body. When we swallow and chew, air enters the digestive tract. Mix that air with the gas from food and bacteria breakdown in the gut, and you get some serious wind. No matter the nomenclature, the similar and distinctive noise of a fart or a queef can be enough to make you cringe if it happens at the wrong time.
So, is there anything you can do to stop queefing mid-coitus or during a very intense, very quiet Pilates class? In the bedroom, try positions that have you on top, don't pull out between position changes, and try softer sex, i.e., less pounding. At the gym, try to release your poses slowly and work on breathing techniques with an instructor. Queefing is also considered a sign of pregnancy and is common after vaginal delivery because the vaginal canal has expanded. "Conceptually, kegels may help because you're tightening things up," Dr. Schiliro says, but that's just a theory.
Remember " queefing is completely normal
While queefing may make you feel like that monkey emoji with its hands over its eyes, queefs are painless and pose no serious health risks. So let it go, and don't be too embarrassed. It happens to the best of us " at the worst possible time.