Love your vagina. We’ve all heard it. It’s not gross, it’s luscious. It’s not ugly, it’s a flower. It’s not annoying, it’s complex. Yet still, if you’re like most women, you feel indifferent at best about your vagina.

In the grand scheme of things, loving it just doesn’t seem like that huge of a priority. You’re supposed to love your cellulite, your crooked nose and your frizzy hair; do you really have to feel good about your vagina too? Yes.

And not because that sentiment goes well with your patchouli-scented aromatherapy candle, but because the way you feel about your vagina has a direct impact on your sex life.

A recent study of more than 2,000 women by Dr. Laura Berman and Dr. Mieke Ana Windecker found that women who had the most positive image of their vaginas reported the most sexual energy and the easiest time achieving an orgasm. It also found that what a woman thought about the smell of her vagina was most closely linked to her overall vaginal perception. So in the name of better sex, here are five facts to help you like your vagina a little bit more (even if you’re not ready to say the “L” word yet).

1. It’s only scary because you’re not used to looking at it. Guys have no choice but to develop an intimate relationship with their genitals. They have to hold it when they pee, they catch glimpses of it every time they get out of the shower, and it’s just generally flopping around down there for them to inspect. You, on the other hand, have to contort your body around a mirror in order to see what’s between your legs. Because of this, you probably haven’t seen your vagina very much, and because of that when you do, it may be scary.

But the more often you look at yourself, the more comfortable you will feel with your body. (For a guided tour click here)