Awesome post, many thanks for it.
In my brevity I did not mean to suggest that biome and hormone levels weren't different things or that the biome controlled vaginal secretions (which are clearly not just those resulting from arousal). I had not looked at medical research about any relationship between the state of the biome and hormones levels or indeed any other biochemical state of a woman's body (Google, filtered for past year, does throw up a number of medical research links suggesting impact on the biome by hormone level and resultant secretion levels). It would not surprise me if the behaviour/properties of secretions once they mixed and interacted with the biome might be different to just pure secretion, which would include arousal emissions.
Thanks again for your insight and sharing your personal story.
I didn't mean to jump on you/your post personally, it's just that you (and others in this thread) are trying to quantify something that healthcare/medical professionals, scientific researchers and big pharmaceutical companies and the like don't fully understand, so there isn't really a definitive answer.
Was hesitant to post but there is so much supposition on this thread I wanted to clarify things. As woman, I can given you a personal account of my own body which will be far more useful than reading a myriad of sources online and trying to synthesise the information. But that won't give you a complete picture, because this isn't a well-researched subject. Seriously. Medical research companies just aren't interested in women's health, more so women's reproductive health and the endocrine system as there's just too many variants.
There’s a reason it is said women are ruled by their hormones, because to a degree, it is true. At puberty, women start producing ‘sex hormones’, that is the hormones that allow them to ovulate and carry a foetus to terms. These are oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone to name the main three, although there are more, seven in total. Puberty not only triggers the production of these hormones, it also switches on receptors for these hormones - there are receptors in every single cell in a woman's body (much like men's cells have receptors in their cells too), and if the hormone levels are not in harmony, the body won't won’t work as it should. What this can mean varies from women to women and is a whole other topic, although of course, some women have no issues whatsoever. When going through menopause, the sex hormones cease production. (It's like puberty in reserve). However, every single cell still has receptors for these so-called sex hormones. Some women’s bodies can cope fine without the hormones, others, like mine did not. A classic sign I'm sure you all know of are hot flushes, but there's actually 38 known symptoms and I had to deal with 37 of them. I take HRT which comprises two different types of oestrogen, (one of which is vagina specific), progesterone and testosterone. The latter does not cause my clit to enlarge. As I said in my previous post, for the first time in my sexual active life, my vagina has never been happier and have no problem getting wet! In a way, the gift of a premature menopause was I finally found a solution for my less than wet pussy. Many women do not take HRT. Maybe doctors/GPs don't even know about the vagina specific topical oestrogen that will save a woman's sex life (and vagina). But then again, some women don't need it.
Many women have no idea how their bodies really work. I only learnt to understand mine because I had too. Many women are bought up to believe their bodies are dirty and it’s shameful to talk about them. No-one really talks about the realities of the menopause or menstruation for that matter, even women themselves, because we all have such different experiences anyway, it’s not always helpful as the issues I have, others might not. And when we don’t have lived-in experience of something, it makes it difficult to empathise with others. Many doctors/GPs just aren’t interested in women’s gynaecological health or well being. (Indeed, my own GP told me when I was having issues that it’s something women went through and I needed to put up with it. Thankfully, I was able to throw money at the problem and see a specialist on Harley Street).
Much of the problem is society as a whole and how much value is put on young women and as women age, they are seen (by some) as less desirable. After all, women dry up, isn't that the joke. Except it's not for some. As a result, the whole menopause and even one’s vagina not performing in the expected way is hard to talk about, and for many, taboo. Woman are made to feel lesser and undesirable for something beyond their control. Often, women simply stop having sex rather than investigate why sex has suddenly become painful or the desire is no longer there. Or they know doctors aren’t massively interested in the root cause. Again, one’s hormones, and most notably. After pregnancy, ones hormones are all over the place and for some, never settle back again. Again, some women have no interest in sorting this out.
Lube, while many of you loathe it (indeed, one recently banned poster even used to mark SPs negatively for using it) is a necessity for many many women otherwise sex is painful. To be angry or feel cheated about use of lube is a form of misogyny, particularly in an environment when you are remunerating a woman for penetrative sex. Why would you want to have sex with a woman who feels discomfort?
On a related note (and based on what I have read in many threads) - the size of a woman’s vagina bears NO relation to her size/weight - bigger women do not have larger vaginas, and more petite women do not have smaller vaginas. It’s like saying all men with large and hands and feet have a big dick, and those with small hands and feet have a little dick. There’s simply no correlation. Vaginas are like penises in this respect. They come in all sizes, and are unique to the individual - you cannot tell simply by looking at a woman if she has a large or small pussy.
Hopefully this extra information is all useful
If anyone has any other vagina-related questions, just ask! Alternatively, for those who are really interested,
External Link/Members Only is well worth your time
PS. Apologies for these two rather waffly posts that cover a multitude of bases but it's such a huge topic the OP is asking about, one that it's difficult to explain all the variants. If you, the reader that is, takes just one thing from my posts, is to stop trying to classify women into a type - treat each woman/as the individual she is, rather than focus on something she might have little control of or knowledge about.
Peace and love to you all, and of course, Happy Christmas!