Myths and facts about vaginal hygiene
Myths and facts about vaginal hygiene — part of gynaecology and women’s health at Dr. Najeeb Layyous's clinic in Amman.
In short: The vagina cleans itself and needs no soap inside; soap causes irritation and dryness. Other myths are that all discharge means infection, that vaginal steaming is useful and that bathing is forbidden during periods. The facts: wash only the outside, wear loose cotton clothing, and avoid perfumes and deodorants in this area.
From my experience I have noticed that the topic of vaginal hygiene is misunderstood worldwide.
Many factors lead to this misunderstanding, such as:
- advertisements on social media that might be misleading
- cultural beliefs
As a result, women practice many behaviors that might be harmful.
Myth number one: use soap to wash the inside of your vagina
- the vagina self-cleans itself through bacteria and PH, using soap will cause irritation, infection and dryness.
What should I do?
Only clean the outside area (the vulva, the skin surrounding the vaginal opening) using plain water or a mild, unperfumed soap, and avoid perfumed soaps, shower gels and bubble baths.
Myth number two: any vaginal discharge means that you have infection
- it is normal to have physiologic vaginal discharge which is odorless and has no color or whitish color.
- the discharge may be a sign of infection if it has an unpleasant or fishy smell, changes colour (yellow, green or grey) or texture (thick and curd-like or frothy), increases noticeably, or comes with itching, burning, soreness, pain on passing urine, pelvic pain or bleeding - in that case see your doctor.
Myth number three: you should use deodorants for the perineal area to smell fresh
- this causes skin irritation with superimposed bacterial infection
- having mild natural odor of the vagina is normal
Myth number four: tight underwear is okay
- tight clothing trap moisture and heat leading to bacteria/yeast growth
- you should avoid synthetic underwear and choose loose cotton clothing
Myth number five: you won’t get vaginal infection if you are not sexually active
- not all infections are sexually transmitted, many bacterial and yeast infections are the result of hormonal changes, diabetes, tight clothes, poor hygiene and many other causes.
Myth number six: vaginal steaming prevents infection
- it can lead to skin irritation or burns
Myth number seven: don’t bath during your period
- daily bathing and washing the external area help maintain hygiene and prevents infection.
Dr Najeeb Layyous F.R.C.O.G
Consultant Obstetrician, Gynecologist and Infertility Specialist
We’re grateful for dealing with such a physician — he’s very caring and deals with each case separately. We would’ve loved to spend more time with him, however he was never in a hurry during our given time.