For a woman taking care of your vagina is a simple task wrought with all kinds of mediocre to terrible advice. There are many a manufacturer ready to play on your insecurities and force you and your vagina into societal norms that aren’t quite that normal. Every woman has her own taste and smell. There is no standard form. The health, taste and smell of the vagina can be affected by the things you eat, drink, smoke and wear to name a few. It can also be affected by your hygiene and sexual habits.
Things that are normal for the vagina are often portrayed as abnormal. One of those is discharge. Discharge can vary in amount, consistency, and frequency. Ovulation, menstruation, pregnancy and intercourse can cause changes in discharge as well. Today I’m going to discuss the common, but not so common sense world of vaginal hygiene.
Cleansing
Keeping your vagina clean is one of the simplest tasks. The vagina is the home of various types of bacteria and even yeast. The yeast are generally kept at bay by the bacteria but we’ll discuss that in another blog. Those bacteria help maintain the vagina but also live in a very delicate balance at a specific pH. For this reason it is never a wise idea to wash inside of the vagina. When washing the outer regions of the vagina, lips, clitoris etc, it is best to use an unscented, non antibacterial mild/gentle soap. Simply cleansing the area in the shower with a towel and no soap at all is just as effective. Despite conventional teachings it is ill advised to wash the vagina with scented soaps. These especially can lead to Bacterial Vaginosis(BV). Bacterial vaginosis is an overgrowth of bacteria already naturally in the vagina which can result in a fishy, foul smelling odor and discharge. Washing the vagina regularly is highly recommended to help avoid feelings of self consciousness related to how it may smell or taste. Always make sure to thoroughly dry the outskirts of your vagina as well to ensure you aren’t giving yeast a chance to start growing rapidly. They love warm, moist environments.
Douching
Douching is an unfortunately common practice. Douching consists of ‘rinsing’ the vagina with various mixtures, vinegar and water being the most common. While a commercial(store bought) douche may be balanced to the natural pH within the vagina, the process itself washes away the bacteria naturally present. Most women douche because the notice or are told they have unpleasant vaginal odor. There are a small subset that do so regularly as a common practice. Douching can lead to BV as well yeast. Unless advised to do so by a medical professional don’t do it!
Something’s not right?
If it anytime you notice any changes in your vagina, it is best to seek the care of a health professional. While discharge from the vagina is normal; colored and/or odorous discharge are not. If you find that you have an increase in the amount or change in smell and color call your doctor. Because most sexually transmitted diseases or infections can be present without causing symptoms speaking with your doctor or nurse can save you time and heartache. Untreated std/sti’s can lead to pelvic inflammation, sterility and other complications.
So to recap:
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Shower? Yes
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Scented soap? No (feel free to use it on the rest of your body though 😉)
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Douche? HELL NO
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Just don’t save yourself
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Stinks? Call a doctor
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Weird discharge? Call a doctor
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Other concerns? You guessed it Call a doctor