LADIES: Things You Need to Learn About Your Private Care

The v@gina is one of the most vulnerable parts of a woman’s body. A poor sense of hygiene and inadequate care can expose it to harmful bacteria and viruses which cause infections like syphilis, genital warts, herpes, chlamydia, etc. Notable signs of these infections include itching and an unpleasant stench.

This smell is usually strong, and can get you into an embarrassing situation (imagine taking off your underwear, and he takes a hike…). This is why it is important that as a woman, you take caring for your body very seriously. There are a couple of ways this can be done, and I’ll be letting you in on them through this piece.

1. V@GINAL SECRETIONS AND DISCHARGE

Other than your period as part of your natural menstrual cycle, it’s normal to produce clear or white secretions (discharge) from your v@gina. This mucus is produced naturally from the neck of the womb, known as the cervix.

Most people believe that this discharge is associated with s*x*ally transmitted infections, but this isn’t so, it is a natural occurrence designed to keep the v@gina healthy.

Changes in the amount of discharge can be 100% hormonal – in other words, linked to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause, medical experts say.

The character and amount of v@ginal discharge vary throughout your menstrual cycle. Around the time that your ovary releases an egg (ovulation), your discharge usually becomes thicker and stretchy, like raw egg white.

The healthy discharge doesn’t have a strong smell or colour. You may feel an uncomfortable wetness, but you shouldn’t have any itching or soreness around your v@gina. If there are any changes to your discharge that aren’t normal for you, such as a change in colour or if it starts to smell or itch, see your doctor as you might have an infection.

2. BACTERIA IN THE V@GINA

There are lots of bacteria inside the v@gina, and they’re there to protect it. Professor Ronnie Lamont, a spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says: “The v@gina contains more bacteria than anywhere else in the body after the bowel, but the bacteria are there for a reason.”

The good bacteria inside the v@gina provide “numerical dominance”; they outnumber other potential harmful bacteria that might enter the v@gina, help to keep the v@gina’s pH balance (how acidic the v@gina is) at an even level, which helps to keep the balance of bacteria healthy, can produce bacteriocins (naturally occurring antibiotics) to reduce or kill other bacteria entering the v@gina, produce a substance that stops invading bacteria sticking to the v@gina walls which prevents bacteria from invading the tissues.

3. WASHING THE V@GINA

It’s a good idea to avoid perfumed soaps, gels and antiseptics as these can affect the healthy balance of bacteria and pH levels in the v@gina, and cause irritation.

Use plain, unperfumed soaps to wash the area around the v@gina (the Arrow) gently every day. 

The v@gina will clean itself inside your body with natural v@ginal secretions (discharge).

According to medical experts, it’s advised that the v@gina is washed more than once a day during menstruation. It is also important to keep the perineal area (between the v@gina and anus) clean.

“All women are different,” says Professor Lamont. “Some may wash with perfumed soap and not notice any problems, but if any woman has vulval irritation or symptoms, then one of the first things you can do is to use non-allergenic, plain soaps to see if that helps.” using a douche can disrupt the normal v@ginal bacteria so it isn’t recommended that you use one.

5. SCENTED WIPES AND PERFUMED DEODORANTS ARE UNHEALTHY

These perfumed products disrupt the v@gina’s healthy, natural balance.

“If nature had intended the v@gina to smell like roses or lavender, it would have made the v@gina smell like roses or lavender,” says Professor Lamont.
Washing with water and a plain soap should be all you need to keep your
v@gina healthy.

It’s normal for the v@gina to have a scent. V@ginal scent can change at different times of the reproductive cycle and shouldn’t always be thought of as being a sign of infection or illness.

If you’re worried about the way your
v@gina smells, if the smell is unpleasant, or you’re using perfumed products to cover up your v@gina’s smell, you should see your doctor. You might have an infection that needs treatment.

The most common cause of unusual v@ginal discharge is bacterial vaginosis, which can cause an unpleasant smell. It’s easily treated with antibiotics, so see your doctor if you’re worried.

6. PLAY SAFE

Some bacteria and viruses can get into the v@gina during s*x. These include the bugs that cause chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital herpes, genital warts, syphilis and HIV. You can protect your v@gina against these infections by using a condom every time you have s*x.

7. GET YOUR CERVIX SCREENED OFTEN

It is advised that all women between 25 and 64 years old get their cervix screened as regularly as possible — as this would make it easy for abnormalities or changes in the cervix to be identified early on and, if necessary, treated to stop cancer developing.

Source: ePostNG.com