A healthy vagina is easy to have and maintain only if you do the right thing and follow the right steps. Here are what you can do to keep your vagina healthy and smelling good.
1. Wash vagina with clean warm water and unscented soap
Nowadays, many women use all kinds of products to make their vagina smell good and stay healthy but the truth is these products cause more harm than good. Women who want to have a healthy vagina should not douche their vagina.
What is douching of the vagina? Douching of the vagina simply means the use of products such as baking soda, vinegar, iodine water, sprays, vaginal deodorants, or any other product other than natural clean water on the vagina to make it smell good and have a lovely odour.
According to studies by PubMed douching can destroy or eliminate the natural healthy bacteria in the vagina. And when this happens, the pH levels get affected thus causes the vagina to become irritated and open to harmful infections.
Douche products contain antiseptics and fragrances that are of no good to your vagina which is the main reason The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists doesn’t recommend their use.
In summary, the best way to care for, clean, and rinse your vagina is to wash it with unscented/plain soap and dirty free water regularly.
2. Don’t use too much lubricants
Women with vaginal dryness sometimes settle for over-the-counter lubricants and moisturizers to increase their sexual comfort during sexual activities. Its use is not bad perse but avoid using too much. Excess use of vaginal lubricants can cause a healthy vagina to become unhealthy. Sexual lubricants and moisturizers contain glycerine, parabens, or chlorhexidine ( antimicrobial preservatives ) which are capable of affecting the healthy bacteria in the vagina, and in turn, cause the vagina to be sick study.
3. Change pad frequently
Wearing one pad for more than 2 hours can be unhygienic and unhealthy for your vagina. As a woman aiming for a healthy vagina, avoid using reusable absorbent pads, be clean at all times, change pad every two hours during menstruation to reduce your risk of having urinary tract infections (UTI) and bacterial vaginosis (BV).
Reusable absorbent pads are found to increase the risk of vaginal infections among women. Thus changing pads frequently can prevent the vagina from becoming too moist and decrease irritation study.
4. Play safe during sex
To Play safe during sex simply means to take protective precautions against contracting sexually transmitted diseases or infections. Sexually transmitted diseases also known as STDs are kinds of diseases that are contracted through sex ( vagina, oral or anal) the same way it is to catch sexually transmitted infections, STIs.
Infections or diseases mess up your vagina and if left to linger for long with no proper treatment can cause infertility and cervical cancer among other health conditions.
The use of condoms and dental dams are the best measures to take during sex in other to stay safe and protected from STIs and STDs, study.
We already know the negative effect of unsafe sex is a contraction of infections and diseases. However, it’s important to also know the positive effect of practicing safe sex. As a woman, safe sex helps keep your vagina protected from STIs and STDs and ensure it smells good always.
Human papillomavirus (HPV), gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, HIV, and AIDS are some of the STIs and STDs you expose yourself to when you fail to practice safe sex.
Sex is good and can be bad sometimes. One study revealed that it exposes and uplevel a woman’s chances of catching urinary tract infections (UTI), a kind of infection that affects your urinary tract which consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
In addition to using condoms and dental dams during sex, wash your vagina with clean warm water before and after sex. Also, right after sex, go to the bathroom to urinate and then return to drink a glass cup full of water, this will help reduce the risk of bacteria entering into the urethra.
Note: If you have latex allergies, consult your doctor first and request a condom recommendation.
5. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables
Meals garnished and served with fresh vegetables and fruits are awesome for women who desire to have a healthy vagina. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain important nutrients that will help energize your immune to fight off harmful bacteria trying to enter your vagina. Adding to food rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of having vaginal infections, they also rule out vaginal dryness and improve vaginal wetness.
6. Don’t shave pubic hair too often
Shaving pubic hair often than normal increases the risk of yeast infection and urinary tract infection among women study. It also makes a woman more prone to ingrown hairs. Health-wise, pubic hair scares bacteria and other infections germs away from entering the vagina. Hence avoid shaving your pubic hair frequently. Once in a month may be considered fair depending on how long your pubic hair takes to grow back.
7. Wear cotton underwear and clothes
I see many asking ” what does the inside of a healthy vagina look like?” The question is in line but you need to understand that the inside of a vagina will not look healthy if you wear more hugged clothes and underwear. None cotton clothes hold heat and leave your vagina moist whereas your vagina is better to stay clean and dry. So to prevent yeast infection, wear often comfortable cotton clothes and underwear that will allow your body to breathe and look fresh.
8. Go for cervical routine check-ups
Cervical routine check-ups help detect signs and irregularities of cancer in women. Medically, It’s suggested women should go for gynecological diagnosis regularly to avoid not having a healthy vagina.
According to a PubMed study, women that are 60 years and above should go for cervical screening test (also known as a smear test) often so as to prevent cervical cancer-related death and onset.
9. Treat vaginal infections on time
Vaginal infection is a condition that affects women at some point in their life. Symptoms may hide in some cases depending on the type of vaginal infection involved. However, the most common and visible symptoms are a change in discharge quantity and colour, itching, redness, foul vagina smell, burning, pains during sex and urination, swelling or irritation, vagina soreness among others. Vaginal infection is not life-threatening, consult your doctor or gynaecologist for diagnosis and treatment immediately you notice any of the signs mentioned.
10. Drink unsweetened yogurt
One cup of unsweetened yogurt drink every day can help keep your vagina healthy. It is thought to have loads of “good” bacteria that help prevent vaginal yeast infection. Nevertheless, if you are not a lover of yogurt, eat Kimchi, kombucha, or any other good fermented foods to maintain good vagina health.
Note: Fresh yogurt is the best but you can substitute it with yogurt pills if the fresh one is not readily available to you.
