Did my vagina just... fart?!

You know the sound: That farting noise your vagina can sometimes make, usually right after you have sex. It’s nothing to be embarrassed or awkward about. First of all, it happens to *everyone* and second, it’s just trapped air in your vagina. Many of my patients tell me this “farting” often happens to them during orgasm, which makes biological sense: When something is going in and out of the vagina, air can get trapped, and when the person with vagina orgasms, the contraction of those muscles releases the air, and the sensation can feel a bit like bubbles. (If you know, you know.)

While “farting” from your vagina occasionally is very normal, you might want to have a chat with your doctor if this is happening all the time. It might be a sign of something called a “fistula,” which is a medical term for an opening developing between the vagina and another part of the body. A rectovaginal fistula, for example, is a tear between your vagina and rectum, which can sometimes be caused by childbirth or pelvic surgery. These can be repaired, but can have serious complications if ignored.