As a Sexuality Educator, I’m often asked for my top tip for improving your sex life. My motto is, “Embrace the Awkward!” It’s a response that suits a multitude of situations.
Human bodies are magical - and sometimes gross. The degree of gross depends upon your constitution, of course, but I tend to believe the more comfortable you can become with natural bodily functions and fluids, the more present you can be in the moment.
One of my partners early on in my sex life helped me so much. I was mortified that my period started smack in the middle of the act. He grabbed a warm washcloth to clean us both up, and led the way to making sure we were both satisfied despite the mid-coitus horror movie scene. We laughed about it for years after.
Time spent fretting dampens pleasure. I’d rather be completely engulfed in the experience.
The Dripstick: Helping out in awkward situations
There are times, however, when I want a little help dealing with awkward situations. Luckily, my opportunity to try out two helpful products coincided with a long-awaited trip to Barcelona, and I made sure to pack them just in case.
Full disclosure - we’ve been asked by Awkward Essentials to provide a review of their products, and they supplied samples for us to try out. I’ve been aware of their Dripstick for a couple of years now, and excited to learn about Mainstream.
First, the Dripstick. This handy tool is designed for cleaning up after vaginal intercourse. It’s a sponge on a stick that absorbs excess fluids - yours, his, theirs - with nothing added that would disturb vaginal flora.
I’ll be honest - when I’m home, I’m in the habit of getting up for a quick pee after intercourse because it’s a good idea to flush your urethra as a preventative for UTI’s. My partner and I are in the habit, so the quick disruption doesn’t interfere with cuddle time, and he even reminds me to do it if I get too comfy before I do.
Where the Dripstick comes in handy, however, is when I’m not home. After 12 years together, we like to add a bit of spice when we can, and we did in Barcelona!
We’ve been waiting for this trip for a long time. I’m a bit of an architecture nerd and I’ve dreamed about seeing La Sagrada Familia for decades. We planned a trip for April 2020 and I’m sure you know what happened to that. We were finally able to rebook and now we’re here!
Also, we never really had a honeymoon. So this trip commemorates our 10th wedding anniversary, and I know everyone thinks of Paris when they think of romance, but Barcelona really did it for me! Seeing the sights, walking hand in hand, sharing delicious tapas and cava, with enough time to really focus on each other - it’s a little like falling in love all over again.
The other night, walking back to the hotel after flirting across the dinner table, we couldn’t wait and he pulled me into a darkened alley. I love a good quickie - don’t you? What I don’t love is feeling the oozing afterward, and I knew we had several more blocks until we reached the hotel. Luckily, I had an Awkward Essentials Dripstick in my bag, and with just a few twists - no moist panties, no ooze! I stuck it back in the wrapper and slipped it into a public trashcan in the next block.
Your public restroom BFF: Mainstream
Another Awkward Essentials product saved me a few days later. I prefer sitting down to pee, but public restrooms skeeve me out. I’ve always thought that if we all just made a pact to sit down, none of us would have to deal with toilet seats spotted with urine. The few times I found myself too off balance to hover led to sitting in it and can I just say ewwwwww? While you really, truly won’t catch anything from a toilet seat, you can definitely get extremely grossed out by sitting in someone else’s pee. I won’t kink shame, but that’s not mine.
The Awkward Essentials Mainstream solves this problem with the added bonus of finally allowing me to write my name in the snow (haven’t tried that yet, but you can bet I will in a few months)! Everything you need is inside - a folded coated cardboard funnel that’s easy to open up, two pieces of toilet paper, and a packet of antibacterial gel. Each package is sealed but also has a Ziplock closure, so once you’re done you can put everything back for seamless cleanup. While I see using this most often in public restrooms, the inclusion of antibacterial cleanser and toilet paper means I could also use it on hikes or while camping, anywhere a restroom isn’t available.
I’ll admit, I practiced at home in my shower first. I’d never done anything like this and I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t make a mess that someone else would have to clean up! But it was easy, and I was excited to find a situation where I could put Mainstream to use in the wild.
It was so easy to use and no mess! Since I was in a restroom I could simply flush the toilet tissue. And I made sure I wouldn’t speckle the seat with bad aim - I lifted it out of the way.
I don’t think I’ll have a daily need for either Dripstick or Mainstream, but I’ll certainly carry one of each in my purse, just in case, and I’ll be grateful to have them when the need arises!
Because we love our sex-positive community, here’s a discount
At Sexual Health Alliance, we love our sexperts and sex-positive community. Like, we really think you all are the bee's knees. This is something we have in common with Awkward Essentials. So here we are, teaming up to offer our communities a great discount on the Dripstick, the Mainstream, or any Awkward Essentials product.
To get 10% off any Awkward Essentials product, use this SHA Affiliate Link, or enter the code SEXCEPTIONAL at checkout.
This post was written by an amaze-balls sex educator! If you are interested in learning more about the Sexual Health Alliance Sexuality Educator Certification Program, check out our program info on our website. We love having more sex-positive helpers in our community!
Written by Jenn Rahner: SHA Certified Sex Educator and Sexual Health Alliance Program Director.