Masturbation is the practice of touching or rubbing your genitals. It’s a completely normal and healthy practice that typically starts after someone starts puberty. Masturbation should be done with a clean hand, fingers, sex toy (dildo), and/or vibrator. It’s totally possible for someone to masturbate so much that it can lead to irritation of the vagina, specifically the large outer (labia majora) lips and smaller inner lips (labia minora). This should get better quickly. However, the swelling may also be a sign of infection, which can be serious. It’s very important that if you are experiencing vaginal swelling that you schedule an appointment with your health care provider (HCP) right away. Your HCP can help determine whether the swelling is related to your masturbation and or if you have an infection. Don’t be embarrassed to share what is going on with your HCP, it’s always good to extra sure!
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