Learn how to keep your vagina healthy with simple tips on intimate area hygiene, natural secretions, bacterial balance, and safe sex practices.
It seems that many women neglect the importance of caring for the intimate area. This area is a breeding ground for bacteria, and trust me, no one wants to deal with infections around “down there!” So, what’s the real deal with intimate area care? Let’s dive in and get the facts.
Intimate Area
The intimate area consists of the vulva, which includes the labia, clitoris (the pleasure center!), and the openings to the urethra (where pee comes out) and the vagina.
The intimate area extends from the pubic bone (the soft area above the vulva) to the opening of the vulva. The external reproductive organs, also known as the “perineal area,” surround the vulva opening.
How to Maintain Intimate Area Hygiene?
The intimate area is a sensitive area that requires special attention and significant care because it impacts a woman’s life and marital relationship.
Many women shy away from this topic and avoid discussing the problems that can arise. Daily care of the intimate area is crucial for your health and to prevent complications. But how can you maintain the health and cleanliness of the intimate area?
Generally speaking, and specifically for women who want to maintain the health of their intimate area, they need to ensure the safety and health of their bodies. To achieve this, they should:
- Follow a healthy diet.
- Exercise regularly and consistently.
- Walking and jogging are helpful in strengthening pelvic floor muscles and preventing pelvic prolapse, in addition to general health.
It’s worth mentioning that regular physical activity helps maintain the vagina’s function and cleanliness.
Natural Intimate Area Secretions
It’s normal for minor intimate area secretions to occur during the third stage of the menstrual cycle (the “ovulatory” phase). These secretions are a natural part of the biological processes women experience during this phase and result from hormonal changes.
However, these intimate area secretions can appear in an exaggerated and unnatural way, which can sometimes worry some women.
But experts generally say:
- Intimate area secretions don’t always indicate a problem. Some believe that unusual secretions are related to sexually transmitted diseases through genital contact, which leads to changes in the chemistry of the secretions and can reach 100%.
- Secretions may be related to the third stage of the menstrual cycle (“ovulation”) or its interruption or pregnancy.
- The composition of the secreted substance from the intimate area differs depending on the timing of the menstrual cycle. For example, unusual white, thick secretions appear during ovulation, characterized by the release of an egg from one of the ovaries. This process is repeated regularly during mid-cycle.
- Healthy intimate area secretions:
- Don’t have a strong odor or change the color of the secreted substance, but a woman might feel wet or have slightly damp underwear.
- Don’t cause itching or show signs or pain in the intimate area and the surrounding area.
- If any unusual changes occur in the intimate area secretions, such as a change in the color of the secreted substance or the appearance of itching, women should consult a doctor because the intimate area may be infected.
Bacteria in the Intimate Area
The intimate area in the second stage after adolescence is characterized by a large number of bacteria. However, this isn’t always a bad thing; the presence of bacteria within the intimate area is beneficial for women. Therefore, the beneficial bacteria within the intimate area help with the following:
- New bacteria entering the intimate area are controlled, preventing them from exceeding the number of existing beneficial bacteria that have already entered the intimate area.
- New bacteria help maintain the balance of acidity in the intimate area, which helps maintain healthy bacteria against disease-causing bacteria.
- Bacteriocins, which are natural antimicrobial substances, may be produced to reduce or kill harmful bacteria that enter the intimate area.
- New bacteria act on the substances that perform the function of eliminating the gas-producing bacteria attached to the walls of the intimate area, thus preventing these substances from nourishing other bacteria.
Acidity in the Intimate Area
If the bacterial balance in the intimate area is disrupted, the lack of balance may cause infections and diseases.
But a new type of bacteria supports lactic acid bacteria in maintaining a constant acidity level in the intimate area, reaching an ideal and natural level of 4.5, which helps prevent the growth of living organisms and other bacteria within the intimate area.
If the acidity level is lower than desired or there’s an increase in acidity levels in the intimate area, this can lead to an increase in lactic acid bacteria.
In contrast, there will be an increase and proliferation in other types of bacteria within the intimate area, which leads to infections like bacterial vaginosis or yeast infections (candidiasis).
To avoid these conditions and maintain the health and cleanliness of the intimate area, it’s essential to follow some tips that can help you prevent infections in and around the intimate area.
Ways to Maintain the Cleanliness of the Intimate Area
To maintain the cleanliness of the intimate area, you should:
- Avoid washing it with strong soaps or cleansers. These products can affect the healthy bacterial balance and acidity levels in the intimate area, leading to irritation.
- Wash the intimate area and the surrounding area (the perineum) daily with water and gentle, unscented soap, as the intimate area naturally cleanses itself inside the body due to natural intimate area secretions.
- During the menstrual cycle:
- It’s recommended to wash the intimate area more than once a day, as this is beneficial and healthy. It’s also important to maintain cleanliness of the vaginal area, washing the area between the vaginal opening and the anus at least once daily to avoid accumulating dirt.
Intimate area washing and cleaning practices may differ from one woman to another. Some women wash the intimate area with water and gentle soap, avoiding any discomfort or irritation in and around the intimate area.
However, if irritation occurs, or other symptoms appear after using cleansers or strong soaps, you can use suitable, hypoallergenic products or unscented soaps.
1- Internal Vaginal Douches
Many women use internal douches to clean the vagina, which involves pushing a solution of water and other substances like baking soda or iodine into the vagina through a special nozzle.
This can be beneficial in the short term. However, this practice can disrupt the function of the natural vaginal bacteria. Therefore, it’s not recommended to use internal douches frequently.
One expert says on this point: “There’s no justification for relying on internal douches that women use to clean the vagina, as it’s not beneficial. What matters is to clean the outside of the vagina, leaving the internal cleaning to the healthy bacteria.”
2- Excessive Use of Scented Products
Cleaning the intimate area with scented products can lead to imbalances in the natural and healthy bacteria in the vagina.
It is known that the intimate area has an odor that changes with different phases of the menstrual cycle, so these odors are not always associated with diseases, they can be natural.
However, some women use scented products to cover up the smell of their vagina. They may notice itching and redness with the appearance of these odors, so it is best to seek medical advice, as the condition may be a fungal infection, needing medication.
One of the best things to do for non-regular intimate discharge is to maintain the normal vaginal flora, although this case can be treated with probiotics.
3- Sexual Intercourse in General
During sexual intercourse, there may be bacteria, viruses, and fungi that enter the vagina and exit it. For example:
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Chlamydia, which is a type of bacteria transmitted through sexual contact, may cause various diseases, including:
- Gonorrhea, which is caused by the GC bacteria.
- Genital herpes, which is a very common disease transmitted through sexual intercourse and its symptoms include:
- Pain.
- Itching and burning.
- Severe sensitivity in the genital area.
- Viral Warts (Verrucae), which are skin tumors caused by viruses.
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Syphilis, and most people infected with it usually don’t know they are infected with it and transmit the disease to the people they have sexual contact with. It is a very common disease that is transmitted through:
- Sexual contact, including oral sex or anal sex.
- It can also be transmitted by kissing.
- Close physical contact with an infected person.
- HIV in the Vagina, which is a virus that attacks the immune system in the body, disrupts its function, and leads to AIDS, making the person less able to resist any disease because he has a compromised immune system in his body.
In general, the intimate area can be protected from infections and diseases by using condoms during sexual intercourse.
4- Vaginal Self-Exams
To maintain the health of the vagina, women between the ages of 25-64 are advised to undergo regular cervical examinations.
These exams can detect changes in the nature of the cervix early on, and in some cases, these regular exams are used to identify cancer before it develops in the cervical area.
