Huffington Magazine Issue 64-65 | Page 84

Exit LIFESTYLE HUFFINGTON 09.01-08.13 So we asked a team of sex-health experts to spill: What are some typical things that happen to women during sex, but that you never really hear people cop to or wonder about? And what, if anything, do they mean? Here’s what they said. GARRY WADE/GETTY IMAGES YOU’RE DRY Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, an ObGyn with Yale University and spokesperson for FirstResponse said that it’s very common for women to become (or stay) dry or irritated during sex. In fact, Women’s Health reports that roughly one-third of young women say they experience vaginal dryness. But lubrication is one of the keys to a pleasurable, comfortable sexual encounter. The best way to get there, according to Minkin? Good ol’ fashioned foreplay. “Vibrators can help,” she added — and there are plenty of personal lubricants on the market. YOU’RE DISTRACTED Sometimes when you’re having sex, you’re totally in the moment, incapable of thinking about anything else. Other times, you’re thinking about approximately 12 million other things. “Women report that they’re pretty easily distracted by what is happening in their life,” said There are sounds, and smells and feelings that make us stop and think ... ‘Uh, what just happened?’ ‘Is that normal?’” Resnick Anderson. “They wonder if something is wrong with them. ‘Why am I thinking about that? Why am I not able to focus?’” Sometimes, it is what it is, she said. In other words, women shouldn’t beat themselves up if other elements of their lives creep into the bedroom. But if distraction becomes a frequent issue, there are mindfulness interventions women can try — most of which they practice on their own — that can make