Why You Should Moisturize Your Vagina + A Class on Cannabis!
If you are uncomfortable with vagina talk, you probably sent this email to spam. So, here are some of my pussy woes.
Being a trans guy who did sex work for quite a long time, I have had a long history and a weighty file at sexual health clinics. About four years into transition, I started having a lot of irritation and discharge. Sometimes it was BV, and other times tests came back negative for everything. Despite this, I ended up being pressured into taking a lot of antibiotics—as is standard practice when gonorrhea or chlamydia is suspected. After about a year of this, I finally came across a clinician who was aware that testosterone could change vaginal pH. I stopped taking so many antibiotics, switched to boric acid capsules, and started really focusing on probiotics, and my issues went away.
Many years later, I started having recurrent UTIs, as frequently as every month. It felt like if anything went near my pussy without full sanitization, I would get into trouble. Despite going to LGBT clinics, it took many months and the fine trans men of Reddit to finally teach me that urethral tissue is estrogen-dependent, and that without it, the tissue becomes drier and more vulnerable to bacterial imbalances and infections. This is not something unique to trans men; it is also true for anyone who has a vagina whose estrogen drops (as in during peri/menopause).
Perhaps you too have noticed that you cannot sing along proudly to Wet Ass Pussy? Whether it’s T or aging, you can wake up again feeling like you could once again experience a fisting train at a queer festival.
Reminiscing on wetter days of yore
In recent years, prescribing vaginal estrogen cream to people taking testosterone has become a lot more commonplace. It absolutely helped me, and I have been UTI-free for many years! It is considered a pretty safe medication and does not significantly affect blood estrogen levels—however, some people have menstrual irregularities after taking it, and there are different takes on how safe it is for someone with estrogen-sensitive cancer.
I have largely switched over to using a vaginal moisturizer, aka my very own Dripping Lube. This randomized control study showed that for mild to moderate symptoms of atrophy, a non-estrogenic moisturizer worked as effectively as a hormonal cream. The estrogen cream is also kind of unsexy; it’s white and very medicinal. I use it if I start to feel less um… supple… but if I use my lube nightly, that doesn’t really happen. It is a mixture of cannabis and comfrey-infused sunflower oil, castor oil, coconut oil, and sea buckthorn oil. These compounds increase blood flow, decrease pain, lubricate, and reduce inflammation. If you use condoms, you should not use this or any other oil-based product ahead of or during sex.
Note: Although the shop on my website is FINALLY working, if you want to purchase the lube from me, you will have to go through this order form, as I’m not allowed to have cannabis products on my website. I am planning on making a non-cannabis version soon!
Another important part of vaginal health is using it (if you feel comfortable doing so). My UTI issue really popped off as I wound down my sex work career. It was so confusing that I was having so many issues when theoretically I was having less risk. When you are aroused, blood flows into your tissues, bringing oxygen and nutrients which help to maintain the thickness and elasticity of the vaginal walls. It’s always free to masturbate!
JOIN ME AT COMMON ABUNDANCE
Are you interested in cannabis lube and cannabis in general? I am teaching with Common Abundance, a Hudson Valley bioregional medicine making course, on July 12! As someone who cannot handle being stoned almost at all, I work with cannabis in many different ways that you may be unfamiliar with. I learned about all of the many gifts of cannabis from Tammi Sweet who has some great affordable and free classes (which if you are well acquainted with this herb you should definitely take). Cannabis is anti-inflammatory! Pain signal interrupting! Supports digestion! Reduces seizures! I enjoy it as a part of a nervine formula to relax, rather than alter my consciousness significantly.
We will be talking about all of these gifts and how to be extract and formulate for both topical and internal medicine. Cannabis is a great herb to learn about phytochemistry with. This program is absolutely so special, taught by incredibly generous and talented teachers who are sharing information that is really hard to get, even in herb school, which is how to physically harvest and make effective medicine. Join us!