Destigmatizing vulvar and vaginal health
Author: Maya Walsh-Little
If you’ve ever walked down a “feminine hygiene” aisle you can probably attest that the never ending lineup of products could easily lead someone to believe that taking care of your vulva and vagina requires significant personal upkeep and a laundry list of maintenance. At Team Lunette, we want to leave you feeling educated about your vaginal function to understand what reproductive health really entails. Starting with the phrase “feminine hygiene,” let’s clear up a few misunderstandings. This is an outdated, and frankly misleading, wording to talk about menstrual and vaginal products in a way that pushes a narrative making vaginal health more palatable and implying that it only exists within the gender binary. The reality is feminine people, masculine people, women, men, nonbinary people, and more all get their period. Vulva and vaginal health is not connected to gender, it’s simply connected to whether or not you have those body parts. Now that we’ve clarified what we’re talking about, let’s get into the specifics.
So, what is a “normal” vagina supposed to be like?
It’s hard to talk about health for vulvas and vaginas without addressing the inevitable, age-old question: “what is a normal vagina?” While the internet, misogynistic rhetoric, and the feminine hygiene market might want you to believe healthy vaginas are hairless, floral-scented organs, in actuality, what is “normal” for a vagina depends on each person, and can vary depending on who you are, your lifestyle, and menstrual phase. Vulvas and vaginas come in all shapes and sizes, for example, even when we’re thinking about what a vulva looks like, the inner and outer lips (also known as the labia minora and labia majora) can look completely different from person to person. For some people with vulvas, labia can be asymmetrical, and for others the inner lips of the labia can be longer and more protruding. The important part here is that you are the expert on your own body, and what might be normal to you, may not be the same for someone else. Getting to know your vulva and vagina through looking at it with a mirror, or getting to know your body’s cycles over time, will help you understand what is normal for you.
Does that mean I should use scented soap?
Putting the words vagina and hygiene anywhere close together, almost always brings up the idea of vaginal soap or douching. If you’re not familiar with either of these “hygiene” methods, they are used to internally clean the vagina in order to change its natural smell or state. What’s important to know about scented soaps and douching is that they are not recommended as a health practice for the vagina. The vagina is a self cleaning organ (we’ll talk more about discharge later), and doesn’t require internal cleaning to be healthy.
Many people gravitate towards scented soaps or douching out of the societally constructed belief that vaginas shouldn’t have an odor. While you should always consult your doctor if you are noticing any strange or particularly strong and abnormal odor from your vagina, a healthy vagina can smell like many different things. From musky and tangy to metallic or even slightly sweaty, it’s completely normal (and good!) if your vagina has a light odor. Avoiding any sort of internal washing or douching also helps you avoid potential infections and irritations like yeast infections. As the vagina doesn’t require any type of internal cleaning, when you’re in the shower using a mild soap with water to run over the vulva is all the cleaning you need to do!
Do discharge and pubic hair make me dirty?
Both discharge and pubic hair can be two misunderstood aspects of the vagina that require more destigmatizing education in order to fully understand them. As we’ve established, the vagina is a self cleaning organ, so part of the reason discharge is formed is due to it being a by-product of self cleaning from the uterus, cervix, and vagina. Discharge comes out of the vagina daily for most people and helps to remove unwanted bacteria as well as keep the vagina naturally lubricated- something that helps prevent infection or irritation. Discharge is a normal and healthy part of vaginal function, and can have different textures and shades depending on many different factors. For many people, discharge is typically a clear or white fluid that comes out of the vagina that can be thicker and more sticky to thin and watery depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. If you notice your discharge is green or dark yellow, that can sometimes indicate a vaginal infection.
Pubic hair is another component of vaginal health that comes with a lot of cultural opinion. Whether or not you make the personal decision of altering your pubic hair, it’s essential to know that having pubic hair does not make you dirty, in fact, the function of pubic hair is to act as a barrier towards bacteria and other pathogens that can lead to infection. This means that having pubic hair is not unsanitary, in fact, it’s protective against bacteria. Additionally, pubic hair also helps to reduce friction during sex, allowing for more pleasure and further protection against skin irritation. So, for those that do decide to shave, trim, or wax, it’s important to make that decision because it feels right to you, and not because having less pubic hair is more clean.
How can I keep my vagina clean on my period?
Because there are more fluids from menstrual blood happening during your period, we understand that thinking about hygiene during this time of the month is something that might come up. Although there are no extra hygiene routines you need to follow when you’re on your period, it’s important to practice safe menstrual hygiene by regularly changing the period product of your choice. If you’re using tampons, they need to be replaced after 8 hours of wear. Period cups offer longer safe wear for up to 12 hours, as long as you are also cleaning your cup between menstrual cycles, or as needed on the go. When you’re on your period, gently washing your vulva with mild soap and water, or using vaginal wipes can help you feel more refreshed during this time. If you’re not interested in either of those methods, period underwear can also be a good option for long period protection, or back up option to use in conjunction with another method.
Photo: courtesy of Pinterest
