Sexual Intercourse and the Vaginoplasty Patient
It’s perhaps the issue that comes up most in discussing whether a person should have a vaginoplasty—and what to expect once she does: How will it affect her ability to have sexual intercourse? So let’s take a detailed look at the whole relationship between the procedure and your sexual life.
No matter what kind of vaginoplasty you have done, if there’s been a normal healing period after the surgery, you can feel safe at trying sexual intercourse (with the doctor’s approval, of course) about six to eight weeks later. Having said that, it never hurts to wait a bit longer. Some patients find that it’s better to wait as long as three months. Hormones, however, which if they were probably stopped about six weeks before the surgery, can be restarted again a week or two following the surgery.
Many vaginoplasty operation patients worry whether the new vagina will be large enough for a normal penis to fit. This is especially a concern for those who have had a male to female sex reassignment surgery. Truthfully, though, it’s not usually the problem that many expect. The average size for a man’s penis is about five inches when erect (and about two-thirds of that if not erect). And of course, only part of this will actually be inserted into the persons vagina during sexual intercourse.
An average vagina on the average female is about 4 inches long, or just a bit shorter than the average male penis. Even though a post-surgery neo-vagina is not quite as stretchy as a natural vagina, still the difference is not that significant. The fact remains that the average male penis is a bit longer than the average female vagina. This means that in most cases, the new vagina will be of sufficient size for the average penis and not much different from a woman with a natural vagina.
Incidentally, a few different factors restrict the length of a post-operation neo-vagina. For instance, the physiology of the patient is a consideration. With any vaginoplasty patient, there’s only so much room inside that can be used for forming the new vaginal cavity. The length will be limited to the distance between colon and the vaginal entrance.
As stated, most vaginoplasty patients have a vagina of around five inches in length (some a bit more, some a bit less). Further, with good dilators and some patience, the woman can obtain a vaginal diameter of nearly an inch and a half. This is quite sufficient for nearly all possible male sexual partners, regardless of the preferred sexual positions. Nonetheless, keep in mind that in the days immediately following surgery, the area which surrounds the vaginal entrance is likely to be swollen. Therefore, don’t trust any measurements taken at this time.
Finally, all vaginoplasty patients should take some time to get acquainted with their new vaginas. They can do this by examining it with a mirror and also by feeling it. Everyone should know how their body looks and feels so that they can detect when something is wrong with it. Remember, though, to put a small bit of lubricant on your finger when examining your new vagina.
