How to Use Kiwi for Entry Pain
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Time to read 4 min
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock (don’t worry, we get it), you’ve probably heard of our latest product release, Kiwi, a vibrating massager designed to relieve entry pain and painful sex.
Up to half of people with vaginas have pelvic floor dysfunction. Half! Pelvic floor dysfunction can absolutely cause painful entry among myriad other symptoms (urinary urgency and frequency, constipation, glute pain, etc).
We spent over 2 years on design, messaging, and educational materials because it is important to us to approach painful sex challenges in new and meaningful ways. We conducted hundreds of hours of interviews, research, testing, and worked closely with clinicians, designers, and patients.
Below are some of our favorite ways to use Kiwi.
Table of Contents
The many ways to use Kiwi
One of our major goals with Kiwi was to make it uniquely multi-functional. While Kiwi is a therapeutic tool meant to address the symptoms of entry pain, it is also meant to feel good! How you use Kiwi is entirely up to you. Some people prefer a separation between their therapeutic tools and pleasure tools, but Kiwi is meant to be used both ways (or either way, depending on the day)! Kiwi is all about mindful exploration.
Vibration is starting to gain recognition as a modality to “ improve pelvic floor muscle function and facilitate treatment of vulvar pain,” which is an exciting advancement in the pelvic health field.
That's why Kiwi was designed with 2 motors:
- One is a lower frequency, deeper vibration (perfect for muscle relaxation)
- The other is a higher frequency vibration that can be felt more on the surface level of the skin.
Each motor can be operated and adjusted (4 power levels) independently or at the same time.
1. External pelvic floor release
Use Kiwi by pressing any side of it against any of the muscle groups that connect to your pelvic floor, like your:
- Glutes
- Thighs
- Abs
- Hips
If you are ready to move closer to your genitals, use any side of Kiwi on either side of the vulva/where your thighs connect to your groin, and either side of the perineum. There are lots of soft tissues to work with in there!
2. Shallow insertion (with or without vibration)
If you are ready to explore shallow penetration, the small tip of the Kiwi will only enter the vagina a maximum of 2 inches. (Don’t forget to use lube!) You can do this with or without vibration, but the motor closer to this end of Kiwi has a lower frequency, meant to help relax the muscles. Vibration also helps desensitize pain receptors .
You can even do your pelvic floor exercises while Kiwi is inserted! Some pelvic therapists have added Kiwi to their exam rooms.
Pelvic floor physical therapist Rachel Gelman , DPT, recommends Kiwi “for people experiencing pain with initial penetration, vulvar pain and/or people that are unable to tolerate penetration as it is a smaller device so it feels a little less ‘threatening’ for some folks.”
It was our hope Kiwi would feel super accessible, no matter where you are on your pelvic pain journey!
Get started with these top-sellers
3. Clitoral vibration
The tip of Kiwi that is meant for shallow insertion also makes a great pinpoint clitoral vibrator! If you feel that Kiwi has sufficiently helped you with your pelvic floor pain, just keep it in your nightstand for ~other purposes~.
Dr. Gelman agrees: “anyone should be able to make use of Kiwi during their healing journey, and it can still be useful afterwards.”
If you’re still working on easing entry pain, however, the wider (flatter) end of Kiwi is also meant to reach the clitoris during insertion to increase blood flow, relaxation, and (if you like) pleasure.
4. Full body massage
We’ve had some customers (including yours truly) use Kiwi for trigger point massage all over their bodies. Use the tip to help release tight muscles in your neck and shoulders and potentially ease headaches or lingering tension. Another team member at The Pelvic People even used it to ease period cramps! The options are endless.
What if Kiwi doesn’t work for my entry pain?
We know the stress of painful sex—intimately. We know how frustrating it is to spend money on yet another product, hoping it’s the answer to your pelvic floor prayers. Like Ohnut, Kiwi has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee.
However, we like to remind folks that Kiwi can still be used in other ways! “I think the fact that it is multiuse means that no matter what, someone can find a way to use it,” Gelman says. “So if someone is worried it won't end up addressing their specific symptom, they will likely still be able to use the vibration component or one of the other features!”
Though Kiwi is meant to address the symptoms of entry pain, it can still be used as a darn good vibrator. If your intention is to explore pleasure, Kiwi is an empowering way to give yourself the space and tools to explore your comfort and boundaries at your own pace.
Kiwi can be used to release the muscles of the superficial (outermost) pelvic floor muscles
Kiwi can be used to release muscles via shallow insertion
Vibration is optional, and can be added by turning on one or both motors
Kiwi can also be used for full-body massage—from the hips to the belly to the booty
The Author || Nicole Guappone
Nicole Guappone is a writer and pelvic health nerd living in the Chicagoland area. She’s been published by Rolling Stone, Glamour, Allure, The Establishment, and more. She’s worked sex toy retail and written sex toy reviews from the perspective of someone with pelvic floor dysfunction. Ohnut helped her on her journey to pain-free sex.
Nicole has an MFA in nonfiction writing and recently completed the Mind-Body-Pelvic Health Academy training program with Dr. Brianne Grogan, DPT. Her non-human companions include two cats and four koi fish.
