Pleasure: How does it play into your overall health? While the GoLove CBD family is passionate about women's sexual health, and that painful sex and sexual anxiety is treated — our desire is that pleasure can be experienced, too.
With pleasure being a gift to indulge in, it’s our natural birthright, and an essential part of your sexual health and wellbeing.
Simply put, it’s normal to want sexual pleasure & gratification.
There should be no shame in being pleasure-forward when seeking solutions for your sexual health. Some may think that sexuality shouldn’t be a priority, or it’s taboo to tend to your sexual needs. But making pleasure a priority isn’t selfish—it’s essential for many folks' wellbeing.
It’s human nature to want sex, have urges, and seek solutions to dysfunction that’s affecting your sexuality. Some common conditions you may be seeking care for your sexual health could be from experiencing:
- Painful sex
- Vaginal dryness
- Erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation
- Hypersensitivity or loss of sensation
- Trouble reaching climax or sexual anxiety
- & Plenty more.
With the right specialized physicians and medical care, many of these conditions can be treated with prescription and/or plant-based medicine, sexual health products, and therapies. For example, many women enjoy GoLove CBD water-based, intimate serum to sooth and moisturize delicate, sensitive skin.
Sexual pleasure is good for you
Keeping an active and fulfilling sex life with yourself and partners can actually benefit you greatly [1]. Sex, sexual arousal, and experiencing climax has shown a number of health benefits such as:
- Healthy heart rate
- Endorphin boost
- Better sleep
- Hormone regulation
- Higher libido
With so many pros, it’s a wonder to think that the benefits of sex or arousal aren’t prioritized along-side things like diet and exercise. Just think, how can tending to your sexual health regularly enhance your life? Give you a “boost” on a daily basis? Benefit you both mentally and physically? A good, safe place to start— is with yourself.
Masturbation is very, very normal
Masturbation, although frowned upon by many societal standards or cultures, is a natural human behavior.Emerging commonly in teen years, a study with boys and girls aged 14-17 reported that 80% of boys and 48% had masturbated at some point [2]. A healthy way to satisfy sexual urges and let off steam, masturbation is a safe tool. It’s also safe sex with someone you love. Either using your hands, vibrating devices, and pleasure products, masturbation can be comfortably achieved.
There is no right or wrong way to masturbate. When individuals explore their own bodies, they often figure out what feels good to them. In many ways called a “sexual thumbprint”, we are all uniquely stimulated— making no two experiences the same.
Using pleasure products for sexual health
Some people may need an extra boost of stimulation to reach arousal or climax. For example:
- Someone with a clitoris may want a vibrator to reach peak arousal
- Someone with a penis may want to try an erection ring for sensitivity and stamina
- Someone with a disability may want a hands free toy, that can provide genital stimulation when hands are not capable
- Someone experiencing pain from manual stimulation may find certain pleasure products to be gentler and more effective
It’s important to note that some may believe the old stereotype that using pleasure products means something is “wrong” with you, or that you aren’t currently satisfied. This is incorrect! Pleasure products are for everyone, and sometimes a life changing addition to peoples sex lives— in both solo and couple’d experiences. It’s our birth right to enjoy pleasure, in whatever manners suits us. We recommend our specially curated products from our sister company, Tickle Kitty.
Sometimes sexual stimulation can be painful
Although arousal and stimulation are usually pleasurable, that isn’t the case for all. In many instances, sexual arousal can actually be painful and cause incredible anxiety [3]. When this happens, the most important thing to do is identify the source of this issue.
In our “Top Reasons Why Sex Can Be Painful”, we identify a few key conditions that may cause pain during sex or arousal. With many conditions causingdyspareunia, or painful sex, there are solutions available. When speaking to a doctor, they may refer you over to a Pelvic Floor PT. Working directly with your pelvic floor muscles, this specialized PT can work with you to find solutions to sexual pain [4].
A pelvic floor PT may have you do daily exercises, breathing techniques, and stretches to treat dysfunction. Products like dilators and our GoLove CBD Serum are used routinely by Pelvic Floor PTs to soothe delicate skin and retrain the pelvic floor to relax for stimulation [5].
Even with the help of professionals, we must also see that pleasure doesn’t always need to be experienced with penetrative sex. Folks, especially those with vaginas, may find they can still experience sexual pleasure with external stimulation. Other erogenous zones of the body such as the neck, nipples, and inner thighs can also be incorporated to experience arousal comfortably. That's where GoLove CBD Serum can provide the glide you need!
Enjoy & explore pleasure together
Not only does prioritizing pleasure greatly benefit you, it also benefits your partner(s). Sexual satisfaction is an important part of intimate relationships, creating connection and excitement [6].
We may be taught that addressing pleasure within a relationship isn’t a necessity— but it absolutely is! Exploring pleasure together is not only gratifying, but it can be a bonding point for many people. A healthy sex life can:
- Strengthen bonds in relationships
- Create a safe space for communication
- Elevate self confidence
- Enhance pleasure and libido
Looking at pleasure as a priority, together, is a great conversation to have. Consider discussing these things together: How can we elevate each other's pleasure? What are my needs? What are your needs? What would we like to try? How can we meet them, or compromise and meet in the middle?
Sexual health contributes to mental health
Pleasure is a psychological experience, just as much as it is physical. It’s often said that the brain is the biggest sexual organ, considering it usually takes some level of mental stimulation for our bodies to engage and build excitement. However when our bodies may not always show our mental arousal, this is known as arousal non-concordance. In this condition, our body and mind do not correlate arousal. For example, you may be mentally aroused but are not lubricating vaginally. Another example is experiencing intense emotion, which stimulates an erection even though not sexually aroused [7].
Experiencing comfortable and satisfying pleasure has been attributed to supporting our self confidence, and helping us to better connect with our own bodies and partners.
Revolutionary to survivors of sexual trauma, healing can also take place with pleasure. Oftentimes, survivors had their power taken away— which can be reclaimed by experiencing sexual desire and pleasure on their own terms. Many people may also feel shame or guilt around sexuality, which can also be combated with experiencing healthy pleasure [8].
If our mental health is getting in the way of our pleasure, it’s advisable to speak to a mental health professional. Speaking with a licensed sex therapist can be an excellent next step in helping address personal experience around sexuality and pleasure.
Get forward about prioritizing your pleasure
To become more pleasure-forward in your sexual health, consider:
- Visiting a medical professional who listens to your needs, even if those needs are strictly pleasure based. Sexual health addresses sexual function, meaning your experience of pleasure is important.
- Scheduling time with yourself and/or your partner. Even with very busy schedules, it’s important to make time to explore or enjoy pleasure.
- Invest in a pleasure product. Whether it’s to explore new sensations or to enjoy stimulation safely and privately, we recommend the quality products found at Tickle Kitty.
- Try our pH balanced, body-safe GoLove CBD Serum for comfort and soothing, slippery glide.
- Tend to your mental health. Do you feel like you’re hitting roadblocks when it comes to your pleasure? A sexologist or Pelvic Floor PT can help change that.
Remember, be kind to yourself
Prioritizing pleasure isn’t a one answer fits all— it’s an individual journey. Go as slow or as fast as you wish, and honor your feelings and boundaries. Seek help where needed, knowing that your sexuality is normal and having sexual urges is valid. Even if you are experiencing physical or mental roadblocks on this journey, there are indeed solutions to help overcome such challenges. Pleasure is a birthright, and the GoLove family is here to help you revolutionize it.
Sources:
[1] https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/sex-and-health#1
[2] https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(15)33210-0/fulltext
[3] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9123-sexual-dysfunction-in-females
[4] https://golovecbd.com/blogs/education/top-reasons-you-re-having-painful-sex
[5] https://golovecbd.com/blogs/education/painful-sex-pelvic-floor-physical-therapists-are-here-to-help
[6] https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/is-sex-important-in-a-relationship#reasons-to-consider
[7] https://medium.com/@enagoski/unwanted-arousal-it-happens-29679a156b92
[8] https://www.abc.net.au/life/healing-through-masturbation-after-sexual-trauma/11501944