Ladies, Let's Talk Feminine Hygiene

While we’re out there living our best lives and navigating this gorgeous blue dot that we call home, women the world over are rising to new levels of independence, and we can all say it’s about time. So it’s something of an anomaly then that we still see cases of illness and hygiene-related issues when it comes to our vaginas. So much so that the NHS had to release an entire article on the importance of good vaginal hygiene practices. So, to destigmatise the topic and contribute to the conversation, we will break down some best-practice, good hygiene inspired vagina care.

Image By mariatalks 

GOOD VAGINA CARE

It can be a crazy world “down there”, seriously - women have in many respects been given a tough go of it by mother nature, and that means that we need to take extra care in ensuring that our most sensitive bits are well cared for and maintained.

You don’t have to wash your vagina, but you absolutely have to wash your vulva. Your “vulva” refers to your clitoris, the clitoral hood and the inner and outer labia (the lips). You should never wash inside your vagina, but it is more than desirable; it’s necessary to maintain cleanliness, control odour, and keep everything healthy and working the way it’s supposed to by ensuring a clean and maintained area around the vagina.

You might have heard the saying that the vagina is like a self-cleaning oven, and it’s not wrong, so be careful and wary of feminine “washes” that claim to restore PH balance or control odour unless your gynaecologist or doctor has prescribed these for you.

SO, DO I NEED TO USE SOAP?

You can use a mild soap that won’t irritate the skin or area around the vagina. You should wash your vulva with warm water and spread the lips gently apart so that you can clean gently around the site using a clean washcloth or your hands.

You should also clean your anus every day as well, and we recommend that you use the “front-to-back” method; this could prevent any bacteria from the anus from making it into the vagina and causing problems of their own.

WHAT ABOUT SANITARY PRODUCTS?

There is no one product better or not than any other; it all comes down to your personal preference or, in some cases, religious or cultural norms. Find the product that works the best for you and make sure that you know how to use it properly.  Your doctor may also suggest you use pads over tampons in some instances or instances. 

Remember to change your tampons or pads regularly and always keep some extra with you, just in case. Can you sleep with a tampon in? Yes, you can - although there is quite a bit of debate around how long you should keep a tampon inside you, so take care to check that out.

As women, we need to control the conversations around our personal hygiene and destigmatise the subject.  It starts with you. Maintain an open and honest discussion with your daughters, sisters and friends and encourage them to do the same.

While you’re at it, let’s also talk about how to take care of our skin as we get older too.