Many of us are misinformed with inaccurate information about the vagina, including those who have them. Unfortunately, there’s some stigma when it comes to vaginal health. Since the 15th September is Vaginismus Awareness Day, what better time to bust some myths about your vagina and how you should be treating it than now.
Douching helps to clean the inside of your vagina.
Here’s where we don’t give the vagina enough credit. The anatomy of the vagina is incredible; it’s self-cleansing! Therefore, there is no need to attempt to wash it from within. It can actually cause serious infections as it pushes bacteria into the cervix, upsetting the natural bacterial balance of the vagina. It’s always best to consult a gynaecologist if you’re worried about a potential infection, as it is most likely caused by something from within, or even from using harmful, fragranced products like douches.
Scented sprays are needed to cover up any smell.
Not only is this not true but it is also extremely harmful to your vaginal health. These sprays can also interact poorly with your vagina’s naturally occurring bacteria and cause yeast infections amongst many other problems. Then your vagina will really have a problem. Think about it this way: you wouldn’t spray your face with body spray, so why would you spray your vagina with it? According to gynaecologists, the chemicals in these sprays can actually make vaginal discharge slightly acidic, causing unpleasant odours, itching, and possibly burning when you urinate.
Shaving is necessary for hygiene and cleanliness.
This is a huge misconception surrounding the discourse of women and shaving in general. For some reason , women with body hair are perceived as dirty, unkempt, and maybe even smelly (but according to our social constructs, body hair on men is totally normal and it makes them even manlier, in fact). Before 1915, it was normal for women not to shave. As the Roaring Twenties approached, women’s fashion began to evolve, with dresses getting shorter and arms becoming exposed (shock horror). In good old-fashioned capitalist style, Gillette saw a gap in the market and began to advertise the first ever razor for women, under the pretence that women should remove their body hair in order to be perceived as more ‘attractive’ by men.
From there on out, the concept of the hairless bikini line was born. Over time, the idea of women being completely clean shaven downstairs has become the norm, particularly amongst those who consume porn and only see women with hairless vulvas. According to a survey conducted by JAMA Dermatology in 2016, 59 percent of women claimed to shave their pubic area to keep themselves ‘clean’. In actual fact, shaving the bikini can make you more prone to infection since pubic hair often acts a barrier against unwanted bacteria. It is also alarmingly easy to cut yourself down there as the skin is even more delicate. On top of that, you could get a few ingrown hairs, not only making it extremely uncomfortable for you, but often leading to greater risk of infection if you try to pluck those bad boys out with tweezers.
Discharge is a sign of an infection or an STI
Not always. Yes, the colour, smell or texture of your discharge can reveal signs of infection, which is pretty handy to be honest as otherwise in some cases you might not be able to tell. Thicker or perhaps abnormally coloured discharge can translate to an infection. However, it is entirely normal to experience discharge on a daily basis. Some may get more than others and perhaps a pantyliner might help you to feel more comfortable as you tend to experience more during ovulation or before menstruation. Let’s make one thing clear, though – discharge is not gross. In fact, it’s healthy. It’s a mucus just like that in your nose or throat which helps to clean the vagina by trapping potentially harmful bacteria. Don’t diss your discharge.
Pain during sex is normal and you just have to live with it
It can be normal to experience discomfort during sex, sometimes it can even be a sign of vaginismus. However, pain can and should be resolved. You shouldn’t have to suffer and compromise your own enjoyment. Vaginismus can actually easily be treated by therapy as it’s often a psychological issue that can prevent any kind of penetration, or at least make it difficult. It is important to be slow and patient, working your way up to relaxing the muscles which are preventing said penetration, whether it be intercourse of any kind or even trying to insert a tampon. It’s important to emphasise that you’re not abnormal for experiencing it but you can get help if you’re struggling to get past the issue yourself.
People can experience it to different extents and for some it’s more painful than others. For some, it takes some patience to overcome it, and for others, they may need treatment. Vaginismus, for example, is one of the most treatable sexual pain disorders, affecting 1 in 500 women in the UK. If you’re struggling to relax and it is making intercourse virtually impossible for you, you can reach out to a sexologist to get professional advice.
Plenty of misconceptions exist surrounding vaginal health, but on the whole it’s important that we let the vagina do what it does best and not succumb to misogynistic advertising that convinces us there’s something wrong with our naturalness. A lot of the time, these cleansing products do us more harm than good. Remember whatever infection or discomfort you may be experiencing with your vaginal health, many of us have experienced the same problem, and there is no shame in getting it treated.
Words by Georgina Crothers
Love Lifestyle? Read more here.
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.