Good Vaginal Hygiene- What Every Woman Ought to Know

Women should not only mind about their physical looks but also their genital health. A woman’s overall health is not only about her outer appearance but includes her private parts like the vagina. The vagina is a sensitive part that is prone to infections and women should know the basic genital hygiene to avoid infections. Vaginal diseases and infections are not only uncomfortable but they can put one’s health at risk. Vaginal hygiene is also important if you are sexually active as most men prefer their partner to be hygienic especially on their genital area.   Good vaginal hygiene is important to keep women physically and sexually healthy. The following genital hygiene tips can be very helpful to keep a healthy vagina.

Wash the vagina with warm water.  The vagina is a self-cleaning organ and cleansers are not necessary to keep it clean. Normal vaginal discharge is the vagina’s way to clean itself and discharge dead cells.  Some women can be very stubborn using soaps and vaginal cleansers that could only cause irritation. Chemicals from cleansers, soaps and other feminine hygiene products could also disturb the natural pH of the vagina giving the bad bacteria the opportunity to grow resulting to infections. The best way to clean the vagina is by rinsing it regularly with warm water. If you really want to use vaginal cleansers, choose a mild one with pH suitable for your vagina and then rinse your vagina with warm water to wash away any traces of soap or cleansers left behind. Some women have the wrong notion that they need to use perfumed products to make the vagina smell good. The vagina has its own natural scent and you do not have to use perfumed products to make it smell good. It can maintain its natural scent as long as you regularly wash it with warm water and keep it clean. Perfumes could only irritate the vagina and could alter its natural pH resulting to infections. A good vaginal hygiene does not involve the use of products with chemicals, it is actually very simple to keep the vagina clean. A simple warm water wash can do the trick. So leave your vagina alone and let it clean itself.

Wear breathable clothing. A good vaginal hygiene includes giving your vagina the chance to breathe and avoid the accumulation of moisture around it.  Sweating promotes the build-up of bacteria and if your genital area is not well ventilated, sweating may occur. To prevent sweating you have to let air flow around the vagina. This can be accomplished by wearing breathable clothing or underwear. Avoid wearing underwear made from synthetic materials but go for underwear made from cotton. Cotton fabrics are more comfortable to wear and allows air circulation thus prevent sweating. Avoid constricting clothing and wear loose pants and skirts to prevent sweating. Try sleeping without underwear to let your vagina breathe.

Be more hygienic during your monthly period. It is important to practice good vaginal hygiene during your period. Change your underwear and sanitary napkin more frequently when you have your monthly period. Change your pads every four hours and the same goes with tampons but it is best not to use tampons as it could irritate the vagina which is a very sensitive organ.

Practice good toilet habit. Practice proper washing after using the toilet. People usually use tissue paper after using the toilet but if you are really concerned about good vaginal hygiene, it is best to rinse your anal and vaginal area with warm water or use Bidet’s after using the toilet. If you insist on just wiping after using the toilet, wipe from front to back to avoid spreading fecal bacteria from your anus to your vagina.

Trim your pubic hair. The hair on your vaginal area can trap moisture and this makes it a good breeding area for bacteria. You do not have to shave it if you don’t want to but it is important to keep the pubic hair short or trimmed. It is easier to keep the vaginal area clean and dry if the pubic hair is trimmed. Good vaginal hygiene includes keeping the pubic hair clean and free from moisture.
Use your own towel. It is more hygienic to use your own towel than use other people’s towel. Anything that comes in contact with your genital area should be clean. You do not know what bacteria a towel could catch so make sure you use your own.

Wash after sex. Believe it or not there are women who do not bother to wash after sex and this can be very unhygienic. It is important to practice good vaginal hygiene after sex. The vagina is exposed to dirt, bacteria and infections after sex so it is a good habit to wash your genital area after sex to wash away bodily fluids, dirt or bacteria and reduce the risk of infections.

Every woman should practice good vaginal hygiene to prevent vaginal infections. The genital area is a sensitive part of the body that is vulnerable to diseases and infections if not kept clean. If you happen to suffer from recurring yeast infections, natural treatment is an option to be explored. To know more visit Freedom from Yeast Infection