What Really Is a Queef—and How Can You Prevent One From Happening, Especially During Sex?
You’re in the middle of a peaceful yoga class attempting a tricky arm balance, and your vagina lets out a noise that sounds like a truck backfiring. Or you’re in the bedroom lying back and enjoying the bump and grind, when your vadge decides to, well, get musical.
Whenever that fart-like sound occurs, It’s usually awkward and almost always embarrassing. So why does why your vagina betray you in this way, and how come it strikes at the most unfortunate times? We have answers.
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What a queef is, exactly
The sound your vagina is making is better known as a queef. The noise is similar to a fart, but it's not the same thing at all. A queef has no smell, and it has nothing to do with whether you ate beans for dinner or not. Queefing is simply the release of air that has been trapped in your vagina, which tends to occur during a workout, when you're sitting cross-legged, or after something is placed inside the vagina, Sherry A. Ross, MD, author of She-ology. The Definitive Guide to Women’s Intimate Health. Period, tells Health.
“It happens when a penis, fingers, or sex toy go in and out of the vagina, bringing additional air along with it," says Dr. Ross. "Sex can involve a lot of thrusting of the penis in and out of the vagina, typically pushing extra air into a dead-end space. Inserting tampons, diaphragms and menstrual cups can also push air into the vagina leading to queefing." Other causes of queefing include certain forms of exercise such as yoga and stretching, which potentially open and stretch out the vagina.
Queefing is just part of the mechanics that come with having a vagina, Christine Greves, MD, an ob-gyn with Orlando Health System in Florida, tells Health. “The vagina is potential space, meaning it can accommodate things like a baby, a penis, or a tampon,” says Dr. Greves. “Like a balloon, air can get in the vagina and when pressure is put on it, it can create a flatulence sound.”
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What can I do to avoid queefing during sex?
Not much, as it's all part of the fun of having a vadge. You can try sticking with sex positions that aren't particularly active, since queefing tends to happen when women change their posture during sex, according to reearch in the International Urogynocology Journal. True, laying back and not moving much might keep you from queefing, but it doesn't sound particularly sexy either.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t really any specific sex positions that can prevent it,” advises Dr. Greves. “But anytime your vagina is in a position where it is open more, that could increase the risk of creating that flatulence sound later on.” That said, Dr. Ross believes that some positions are more queef-inducing than others. “Certain sex positions such as doggy style and inverted missionary (aka, woman on top) seem to increase the queefing effect,” she explains.
Dr. Greves adds that while it’s not proven, a position like traditional missionary, which has you lying back and your vagina typically less open, would likely minimize the amount of air getting into the vagina, resulting in less queefs.
But honestly, maybe the best thing to do is not worry about queefing so much. The next time you’re getting hot and heavy and you let one rip, remind yoursef that it’s natural. “It’s best to enjoy these awkward moments by laughing about it and knowing you both are probably having a really great time creating the queefing effect,” says Dr. Ross.
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