What’s a vagina?
A vagina is also known as the birth canal for those who bear children. The vagina connects with the cervix and, through that, the uterus.
The ovaries, located on either side of the uterus, release eggs in fertile people. These eggs travel down the fallopian tubes to the uterus, where, in conception, they meet up with sperm for fertilization and implant along the uterine wall.
When fertilization doesn’t happen, menstruation does. Until the egg is released, the uterus builds up extra lining to provide the most hospitable environment possible for a fertilized egg. When an egg isn’t fertilized, though, this lining has to go somewhere. So it exits the body during your period until menopause or any number of factors affect menstruation.
A healthy vagina also secretes small amounts of discharge. While some women might not even be aware of it, others “can notice anywhere up to a teaspoon or tablespoon of discharge a day,” says Leah Millheiser, MD, director of the female sexual medicine program at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California. “Discharge is a normal physiologic reaction — it’s essentially shedding of cervical and vaginal cells.”
But “if women experience changes in vaginal odor, a change in color of their discharge that may be associated with discomfort — whether it’s pelvic discomfort or vulvar discomfort, itching, or burning — any change needs to be evaluated,” says Dr. Millheiser. Follow these rule to keep your vagina healthy.
1. Don’t douche(Spraying Perfume or Fragrance)
I hate to break it to you because you may enjoy smelling “summery fresh,” but douching is actually harmful to the vagina. So, how do you keep it clean?
Luckily, vaginas are amazing organs. Not only do they help bring life into this world (as if that wasn’t enough), but they also do a great job keeping themselves clean. They do this by balancing healthy bacteria and pH levels on their own. No douching needed.
Douching actually eliminates some of that healthy bacteria, which changes the pH and makes you more susceptible to infections.
But what about smelling summery fresh, you ask? Each person’s genitals smell different and there are natural ways to affect your personal scent, including changing up what you eat. Things like pineapple can make vaginas taste or smell sweeter, while asparagus can have the opposite effect.
2. Practice safer sex
Using condoms — either the male or female kind — during sex helps to protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as HIV, genital herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, genital warts, and chlamydia. Some of these, like HIV and genital herpes, have no cure. And others, like the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes genital warts, are known to cause cancer.
You should change condoms when switching from oral or anal sex to vaginal sex, to prevent the introduction of harmful bacteria into the vagina. You should also avoid sharing sex toys with your partner, notes Millheiser, as you can spread STIs that way — especially HPV.
3. Pee after sex
Peeing after sex can help reduce the likelihood of UTIs. Plus, it helps you get in some discrete clean-up time.
4. Check Your Lubricant, No No to Petroleum Jelly
Lubrication is amazing. It can take sex to the next level for everyone involved. Still, there are some ingredients that aren’t very healthy for your body.
Glycerin, for one, is related to sugar. While it works great to keep lubes moist, it can also contribute to bacteria growth in the vagina. Petroleum products are also no-nos because they can ruin the vagina’s natural pH level. Other things you may want to avoid include:
- parabens
- scents
- flavors
- nonnatural oils
- dyes
5. Choose Clothing Carefully to Stay Dry
Your vagina should stay clean and dry — and what you wear can affect that. Certain types of fabrics and tight-fitting clothing create warm, moist conditions in which yeast thrive. Wear breathable cotton underwear and avoid thongs. If you’re prone to yeast infections, change out of wet swimsuits and sweaty workout clothes as quickly as possible.
Dr. Millheiser’s advice: “If you experience a lot of discharge and dampness during the day, take two pairs of underwear with you every day when you go to work or school, and change your underwear during the day. It’ll help you feel more comfortable and will help prevent infection.”
6. If you’re switching between anal and vaginal sex or vice versa, use a new condom each time.
Your anus can carry strains of bacteria that can cause irritation or infection in your vagina, which is why it’s important to get a new condom if you’re going from anal to vaginal sex, Dr. Shepherd says. Likewise, your vagina also has a bacterial flora that can irritate your anus, so it’s also important to change up your condoms if you’re switching from vaginal to anal sex, she says.
7. Get tested for sexually transmitted infections regularly—whether you’re in a monogamous relationship or not.
The recommendations for how often you should get tested vary based on the sexually transmitted infection in question and the status of your sex life. No matter your situation, it’s important to get tested as often as your doctor recommends based on your risk factors. Yes, that’s true even if you’re in a monogamous relationship, Dr. Shepherd says. It’s not like getting tested means you automatically think your partner is cheating. “STIs are not always symptomatic,” she points out, so you may have picked one up before you got in a monogamous relationship and just not have noticed it.
Early STI detection is crucial. Testing and diagnosis will help you get rid of any symptoms and figure out a treatment plan with your medical practitioner. When left untreated, conditions like gonorrhea and chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which can lead to chronic pelvic pain and fertility issues. This is not something you want to mess with, so stay on top of your STI testing schedule.
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