Sex for the first time = Blood? I was wrong!

I believe that our “first time” is a milestone which marks a special transition in our lives. It is a nervous and an exciting moment of our lives. A lot of questions pop in our minds right when we have intercourse for the first time, and what bothered me the most was ‘post-coital bleeding’.

Due to a lack of formal sex education in our society, most of us seek advice from our ‘expert’ friends or Google. Sometimes I have heard people say things like, ‘it hurts really bad’,  ‘you’ll bleed a lot’,  ‘it gets embarrassing’,  ‘the guy might freak out!’ etc. I was quite freaked out by all this.

I was expecting that I would bleed the first time I have sex. But when I didn’t, I was shocked.

We bleed after the first post penetrative sex because it leads to the breakage of the hymen – a thin layer of skin that partially covers the vaginal entrance.

But compulsory bleeding after losing your virginity is a myth. Some of us do not even suffer a hymen tear after penetrative sex because it is highly elastic and can easily take the stretch without tearing.

Your hymen could either be elastic in nature or it might have broken before your sexual experience!

The hymen typically breaks due to excessive stretching, which isn’t restricted just to sexual activities. It can happen through physical activities like horse riding, dance classes, acrobatics or even using tampons. And this can happen without any bleeding or pain.

That being said, our first times are always nerve wracking and exciting. But it is important that it is pleasurable for both of you. If you feel pain or discomfort, you should always ask your partner to stop, go slow or change the way of doing things.

If you, however, experience pain during sex or excessive bleeding days after having sex, it is advisable to see a doctor.

Post-coital bleeding is not a mandatory aspect of your first sexual experience. You may or may not bleed, and both are absolutely normal.

Sexual health is an important part of our well being and we are constantly trying to provide our community with authentic information. To read more on sexual health, find our articles here.