The Best Sex Positions For When A Penis Seems Too Big To Handle

I once dated a man whose penis measured over nine inches with a circumference of six and a half inches. It was massive, his favourite position was doggy style, and he liked to go hard — which I liked. To give you an idea of what I was up against, the average penis size is 5.17 inches. Once, after intercourse, I noticed there was blood streaming down my thighs. His massive member had turned my vagina into a war zone.

This is not an uncommon experience — tearing is very possible when having sex with large penises, says Timaree Schmit, PhD, a sex educator. And apparently, having rough, doggy-style sex was not the best way to avoid this. "Doggy allows for greater depth of penetration, which can be great at times but also potentially painful," Dr. Schmit says. "It's also a position in which the receptive partner has less control of the motion than, for instance, being on top."

Clearly, positions matter when it comes to penetrative sex with penises (and not to mention, bigger isn't always better). The vagina can expand comfortably to fit all sorts of objects, Dr. Schmit says. You just have to learn the most comfortable positions to accommodate a larger-than-average penis or dildo. So here are a few sex positions that work exceptionally well and won't break your vagina (or butthole, for that matter).

Oh, and these positions are wonderful, but don't forget to communicate with your partner about how you're feeling throughout, use lots and lots of lube, and have fun with foreplay.

The gap between what we learned in sex ed and what we're learning through sexual experience is big — way too big. So we're helping to connect those dots by talking about the realities of sex, from how it's done to how to make sure it's consensual, safe, healthy, and pleasurable all at once. Check out more, here.