Busting your myths about vaginal cleaning

🥰Busting your myths about vaginal cleaning. 🥰

Let’s break down the anatomy of the vulva so you can understand your yoni better.

We have three holes “down there”

1. Your urethra: where you urinate from

2. Your vagina: where you bleed, where you can have vaginal sex and where a child comes out from.

3. Your anus: where you pass stool from and where you can have anal sex from. However the anus is not part of the vulva region. But it’s still a hole “down there”

Top things to know:

• The vagina connects the vulva to the cervix

• In a non-aroused state, the walls of the vagina are collapsed against each other

• The vagina changes: during sex, throughout the menstrual cycle, and with age and different life stages

People often use the term vagina to refer to the entire female genital region between the legs—but this is incorrect.

Let’s first start with correcting this terminology. The external parts of the female genitalia—which includes the glans clitoris, labia minora and majora, opening of the urethra and vagina (the introitus), and the surrounding tissue is called the vulva.

The vagina is the tube between the vulva and the cervix. The vagina is what babies exit through during birth, and what menstrual blood exits through during your period. The vagina is also used for insertion, such as with a penis, fingers, female condoms, sex toys, tampons, or menstrual cups.

The walls of the vagina are composed of different layers of tissue. The surface layers of the vaginal wall are made of mucosal tissue similar to the tissue that lines your mouth, nose, and digestive tract (1). Underneath the mucosal tissue are layers of smooth muscle tissue, collagen, and elastin fibers, which give the vagina both structure and ability to stretch.

Top things to know

• Discharge is an umbrella term for fluid that comes out of the vagina

• Cervical Fluid is an aspect of discharge—it changes throughout the cycle to prevent or facilitate sperm from moving past the cervix

• Arousal fluid is created within the vagina as part of the human sexual response cycle

Abnormal discharge can happen when the vagina’s microbial community gets out of balance. This means there is a decrease in the amount of “good” microbes and an increase in “bad” microbes (or an overgrowth of something that’s usually only present in small numbers). Such imbalances can lead to conditions like bacterial vaginosis (aka BV — the most common cause of abnormal discharge) and yeast infections (vulvovaginal candidiasis)

Women are at greater risk of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and, in turn, problems with their reproductive health if their vagina doesn’t have high amounts of lactic acid, according to a recent review published in the journal Research in Microbiology.

Bacteria in the vagina

There are lots of bacteria inside the vagina, and they’re there to protect it.

Professor Ronnie Lamont, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says: “The vagina 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 vagina:

• provide “numerical dominance” – they outnumber other potential harmful bacteria that might enter the vagina

• help keep the vagina’s pH balance (how acidic the vagina is) at an even level, which helps keep the balance of bacteria healthy

• can produce bacteriocins (naturally occurring antibiotics) to reduce or kill other bacteria entering the vagina

• produce a substance that stops invading bacteria sticking to the vagina walls, which prevents bacteria invading the tissues

If the balance of bacteria is disturbed, this can lead to infection and inflammation.

Bacteria called lactobacilli help keep the vagina’s pH balance at its normal low level (less than pH 4.5), which also prevents the growth of other organisms.

If the pH of the vagina increases (it gets less acidic), the quality or amount of lactobacilli can fall and other bacteria can multiply.

This can result in infections such bacterial Vaginosis or thrush, which can cause symptoms including itching, irritation and abnormal discharge.

It cleans itself!!!!!!!

Your vagina keeps itself clean all on its own. “It’s lined by a variety of glands that produce the fluids needed to both lubricate and cleanse the vaginal area,” says Lisa Stern, APRN, vice president of medical services at Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles. “The vast majority of vaginal infections I see in my office are self-induced — generally by women who think they’re doing a good thing by washing their vagina with soap and water, or worse, with douche.” Bath products, particularly those with chemical dyes or fragrances, can irritate the vagina and wash away the beneficial lubricants and flora (bacteria and yeast) that are normal and natural, she says. When these beneficial compounds get washed away, anaerobic bacteria and yeast proliferate and can cause symptoms like discharge, odor and itching. Lesson learned: While a little mild soap on the labia area is OK, your body does a fine job of keeping the insides clean.

Keep your vagina as healthy as possible:

To keep the understanding easier, I want you to think of your vagina being as sensitive as your eyes. What do you do when you feel something’s in your eye and you can’t stop rubbing the eye. You splash water to make it feel better. Similarly your vagina is “eye sensitive” all you would need is room temperature water to clean it. Not cold, not hot room temperature is to not upset your eye.

1. There is no need for v wash or any “vaginal wash” product because as said before it cleans itself. If you do then that could disrupt your ph level. HOWEVER only if your gynaecologist has prescribed it then use it. Don’t use it otherwise.

2. No scented body wash, soap or foaming or perfumes or exfoliating or vaginal(intimate) wipes or a loofa nothing of this even anywhere near the area. Keep away from your vag.

3. No douches it makes the vag dry and she doesn’t like to be dry.

4. Using just water and IF YOU NEED TO a mild soap(y) water to just wash around the vagina (vulva). And pat dry after with a towel because moisture in the area will lead to infections.

5. Exercise and diet. You thought you were going to avoid this but good exercise and a healthy diet is key to your vaginal Heath. It’s everywhere

6. Consume probiotics. Probiotics which are ‘good for you bacteria’ can help maintain the pH balance in your vagina. Probiotic-rich foods include yogurt, Kampuchea and unpasteurized sauerkraut.

7. “During your period, washing more than once a day may be helpful,” says Dr Elneil, who points out that keeping the perineal area between the vagina and anus clean is important, too.

8. “Good perineal hygiene is necessary by washing that area at least once a day using your normal bathing routines.”

9. “All women are different,” says Professor Lamont. “Some may wash with perfumed soap and not notice any problems “. But if a woman has vulval irritation or symptoms, one of the first things you can do is use non-allergenic, plain soaps to see if that helps.”

10. Be extremely diligent about using protection with new and untested sexual partners. Use a fresh barrier tool (like a condom) if switching from anal to vaginal activity during sex.

11. A healthy vaginal environment will make you less likely to contract an STI, and help you avoid uncomfortable symptoms and potential health complications.

Bottom line if you feel any stress or worry just go to a gynaecologist and explain your concern. Don’t worry your yoni is beautiful and powerful. Hell, a baby can come out if it is it’s THAT strong. Don’t be embarrassed by it. Get to know your yoni better to get to know YOU better.

Practice dialysis stay safe. Stay humble. 💙

Reference:

1. Anatomy: pelvic viscera. In: Hoffman BL, Schorge JO, Schaffer JI, Halvorson LM, Bradshaw KD, Cunningham FG. Williams Gynecology. 2nd edition. New York: McGraw Hill Medical; 2012. p.928-937.

• Farage MA, Miller KW, Sobel JD. Dynamics of the vaginal ecosystem — hormonal influences. Infectious Diseases: Research and Treatment. 2010 Jan 1;3:1.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/keeping-your-vagina-clean-and-healthy/