By Frances Tang
Sex. A lot of us have it, but most of us don’t feel comfortable talking about it - even to their own partner.
“AUGHHH!” I war cried as I crossed my legs, tactically rolled off the bed, and sprinted to the bathroom. My husband and I had just finished having sex, and it was time to clean up.
“There’s just so much” I lamented out loud as I hovered over the toilet, grabbing mounds of toilet paper in an attempt to wipe up the gooey aftermath. I quickly thought about what I needed to do that day, and decided to jump into the shower and dig it out with my finger — it would be much better than going out in public and feeling a familiar gush, that would send me running to the bathroom yet again. I sighed, turned on the shower, and jumped in — naked, cold, and annoyed.
This was not an uncommon scenario. Sex was wonderful, but the clean up was irritating and time consuming. Every time I was stuck in the bathroom, I would wonder why there wasn’t a hack for this. Was I the only one who couldn’t stand the multi-step clean up routine? Surely there were other people on birth control experiencing the same thing?! The dripping? Ruined underwear? The smell?!
Like any good millennial, I turned to the internet for a solution. Deep down in the crevices of a couple forums, I found my answer. Others had tentatively asked about after sex clean up, and the unanimous response was a sacrificial sex towel.
Others had tentatively asked about after sex clean up, and the unanimous response was a sacrificial sex towel.
Um, okay, but I’m pretty sure the problem is inside, not outside, I thought to myself. Wiping up is a must, but type-A me wanted a solution that solved the problem at the source.
The incurable entrepreneur in me mulled over this problem and idea for years. It wasn’t until yet another one of my business ideas went south, I decided to quietly voice the idea to a few friends. The amount of enthusiasm and instantaneous understanding blew me away, and immediately gave me the confidence to begin exploring.
I continued to do more research and talk to other people about what I was experiencing. Despite most people not feeling comfortable talking about sex (let alone the messy aftermath) I realized that if I started the conversation first, others were more than willing, eager in fact, to share their stories. I wasn’t the only one with this problem - many others just felt too awkward and embarrassed to talk about it. It just so happens that I had no problem discussing post-coital bodily fluids. Coupled with an outrageous sense of humor, I committed my myself to tackling this problem.
Despite most people not feeling comfortable talking about sex (let alone the messy aftermath) I realized that if I started the conversation first, others were more than willing, eager in fact, to share their stories.
Several iterations and 1 startup accelerator later, come&gone officially came to life. It took the form of a small, sterile, medical-grade sponge with a handle. Using the handle, a user can insert the sponge in the vagina, swirl it around to absorb all the fluids, remove, and toss. No more excess fluids meant no more dripping, smell, ruined underwear, or emergency trips to the bathroom.
The mission quickly became clear - open up the conversation, normalize those taboo topics, and provide solutions for them. Yes, it’s awkward, messy, and uncomfortable. But we have to start somewhere, right?
It’s awkward, messy, and uncomfortable. But we have to start somewhere, right?
LOOKING FOR OTHER WAYS TO #STAYFRESH?
Read more: the Ovee Gang tests out body and vulva wipes
Frances is the founder and CEO of come&gone, a product made to help women with after-sex clean up. Her mission is the talk about, normalize, and solve, the everyday awkward and taboo encounters (with a dose of humor). She has her BA in Communications from UCSD, and is definitely a multipotentialite!
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