How to keep a healthy vagina

This email circulated on the internet recently and we thought it wise to share this very information with fellow ladies.

As an important part of the woman’s body, the vagina requires as much attention to hygiene as do other parts of the body to help maintain overall good health. Unfortunately, since the vagina is an embarrassing subject among many women, it is often neglected of basic care. Here is a simple guide to keeping the vagina at least relatively healthy.

1. Keep healthy: This may seem like a no brainer — keep healthy to keep a healthy vagina. For this, you need to minimise sugar intake and maximise yogurt intake. Why yogurt? The bacterium in your vagina is a certain type that is in only a couple of foods that you can find in the grocery store. It just so happens, though, that yogurt contains good bacteria called acidophilus. Sugar, meanwhile, promotes the type of bacterium that the yogurt bacterias, if you will, try to kill off. So, as said before, minimise sugar and maximise yogurt, sugar-free preferably.

2. Keep yourself clean: A large cause of infections happen simply because sweat or oils build up until there was nothing for it to do except fester and form an infection. So bathe and shower regularly, and try and keep “down there” as clean as possible, without using a douche. Douches clean too much— they take away some of the bad bacteria, but then they also take away massive amounts of the good bacteria. Unfortunately, the bad bacterium builds itself up and you’re worse off than before. Douching can also lead to increased inflammation (vaginitis). A simple washcloth, with a small amount of mild unscented soap and water works fine, but do not wash inside. The vagina is constantly flushing itself. So, allow it to work the way it was designed.

3. Use condoms! Condoms, while helping to protect you against pregnancy, also help keep your vagina clean. Having unprotected sex often can lead to vagina problems as well as the obvious pregnancy and STIs.

4. Use dental dams and gloves if you receive oral sex or are being fingered.

5. Wear cotton underwear: Cotton is very breathable and allows the vagina to get air circulating around it. This helps to keep things from building up “down there”, and also helps maintain good skin around the vagina area.

Continues next week