The expression “feeling butterflies in your stomach” is well-known and typically describes the anxiety and exhilaration accompanying a crush or falling in love. What transpires if you start to experience butterflies in other bodily parts? Whether you were watching Bridgerton, reading your favorite romance novel, or seeing your crush, suddenly, tingles and strong emotions started to shoot through your body. If so, you might be experiencing lust, which is a typical experience that follows puberty.
At first, these sexual cravings can be thrilling, but they can also be perplexing and a little frightening, especially if they appear out of the blue. You might not know what to do when the urges for make-out sessions—among other things—begin to manifest mentally and physically. Does lust feel the same to you every time? Is it possible to get over being lustful? Are there varying degrees of lust? These are legitimate ideas, and whether you find yourself smitten by a celebrity or a cute classmate, remember that these are very natural emotions that start to manifest when people approach puberty. These experiences are not unique to you, and, to be honest, your closest friends are probably going through them, too. Here, we explain what it means to be horny and how to recognize it in yourself.
What does it mean to be aroused?
To be “horny” is to “want to have sex or be sexually aroused or excited,” according to Planned Parenthood. Feeling lustful can stem from a variety of situations, such as fantasizing about a famous person you’re crushing on or getting your period. Your lust is influenced by more than simply sultry TV moments; hormones also play a part. The two main sexual and reproductive hormones, progesterone and estrogen, have an impact on sex drive. This was discovered in a 2013 study published in Hormones and Behavior. These changes happen when you get your period and later in life when you get pregnant and go through menopause.
Of course, there are other indicators, which we’ve listed below, that can help you determine whether you’re genuinely horny.
1. You find yourself daydreaming constantly
Most likely, you’re feeling lustful if you’ve been having daydreams about going out with a fictitious character from that one Netflix series you can’t stop binge-watching or maybe taking things further with a friend. According to a 2019 study published in Brain and Behavior, your brain is still evolving during puberty, especially the orbitofrontal complex, which interprets the feelings and pictures associated with your newly discovered sexual desire.
2. You’re having trouble falling asleep
Yes, that is accurate. If you’re experiencing problems falling asleep, you might be horny below. That’s something they don’t usually talk about in sex education, though. WebMD claims that having sex with your spouse or masturbating to relieve sexual tension aids in the release of prolactin, a hormone that induces sleep.
“You might want to try it out if you’re having trouble falling asleep, as [masturbation] has been linked to helping people,” Dr. Jennifer Lincoln, Medical Advisor at The Body Agency, said to Seventeen. She added that having sex by oneself might be an excellent way to decompress and release tension.
3. Your genitalia are experiencing pain.
Your body naturally reacts when it is aroused sexually. Individuals who have vaginas may experience tingling in that area and feel more damp than usual. You may experience these feelings because, as stated by the National Health Service of England, when you are horny, blood flows to the vaginal walls, causing them to dilate. However, when a person is sexually stimulated, their penis usually gets more brutal or bonier.
