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]]>A healthy vagina is the basis of stellar sexual health and wellness. By practicing healthy habits and awareness, it’s possible to avoid itches, rashes, and infections. Start by wiping right after a bowel movement. Avoid douches, scented soaps, and feminine hygiene products. Eating probiotic food like yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut can keep the vaginal hygiene & balance intact. Add in some Kegel exercises and yoga asanas to keep your vagina strong and flexible.
Everyday Habits For a Healthy Vagina
Wiping after a bowel movement seems like a trivial task. Yet, there is a healthy and safe way to go about it. Start from the front and move backward. In women, the openings of the anus and vagina are fairly close together. If you wipe from back to front, you increase the risk of bringing bacteria from the anus into the vagina. This move can trigger bacterial vaginosis, a vaginal infection characterized by a fishy smell, discharge, and itching. It is also marked by a burning sensation that amplifies when you urinate. So make it a point to start from the front and work toward the back. It may take some getting used to, but it’s the type of habit that will enhance your vaginal hygiene & health.
Douching is the act of cleaning the vagina by spraying it with water or other fluids. Many believe that this practice will get rid of bad odor and menstrual residue. It’s much different than a simple rinse around the vagina, though. (The latter doesn’t do any harm, and can be a part of a regular shower or wash.) These douches are made to be inserted into the vagina using a nozzle or tube.Unfortunately, this can adversely impact the natural balance inside the vagina. From dryness to irritation, douching can cause problems that weren’t there in the first place. Douching doesn’t just flush out the good bacteria but can also help bad bacteria flourish, leading to conditions like a yeast infection and bacterial vaginosis. A healthy vagina needs certain levels of both bacteria, after all. And if you already have a bacterial infection? Douching can encourage the bacteria to move into the uterus, ovaries, and Fallopian tube. This can also cause an infection that can transform into pelvic inflammatory disease, a serious inflammation of the reproductive organs. Needless to say, douching should be avoided for prime vaginal health. The vagina naturally cleanses itself by emitting discharge and mucus. And while it may be tempting to speed it up, the vagina is perfectly capable of handling it on its own.
But do we really need them for vaginal hygiene? Most soaps are basic in nature, while the natural vaginal pH tends to be acidic. When you wash the vagina with these soaps too often, the natural state is thrown for a loop. It gives harmful microbes a chance to grow, causing bacterial vaginosis and fungal infections. Fragrances in soaps, cleansers, and gels can also irritate the vagina. While there’s a ton of debate on this topic, there’s no proof yet that vaginal washes can actually maintain an acidic pH. Yet, many products claim to do so. The vagina can maintain a healthy pH by itself. And if it is unable to do so, symptoms of itching and a foul-smelling discharge will manifest. At that point, a doctor’s intervention is the only thing needed.
While a nutritious, balanced diet is important for reproductive health, probiotics have an exceptionally special role. The vaginal canal has a natural level of good bacteria that keep it healthy. Most notably, this includes the Lactobacillus bacteria. Research even speculates that inadequate amounts of Lactobacilli in the vagina can lead to a greater susceptibility to infections, from yeast infections to HIV type 1. So if you’re looking to optimize your vaginal health, eat foods that are rich in probiotic bacteria. Need ideas? Yogurt and fermented foods like kimchi, or miso are all tasty options.
With the invention of high-absorbency pads, it’s easy to forget how important it is to change them regularly. Otherwise, bacterial overgrowth, rashes, and general discomfort may occur. To prevent these from conditions from developing, experts recommend changing pads every six to eight hours. Tampons aren’t much different. Leaving them in for longer than eight hours has been known to increase the chances of a potentially fatal condition called toxic shock syndrome. Your best bet is to change them at least four to five times a day. The Women’s Voices for the Earth report also points out that the dioxins, pesticidal residues, and fragrance chemicals in tampons and sanitary pads may pose a risk to reproductive and endocrine health, aside from causing allergies and infections. Looking for an alternative? Consider a reusable menstrual cup instead of these conventional products for vaginal hygiene.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with protecting your sexual health when you’re with a new partner (or multiple partners). Use physical barriers such as condoms and diaphragms to protect yourself from contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Another safe sex and vaginal hygiene practice is urination after sexual intercourse. This simple habit can help get rid of bacteria in the urethra and bladder. You can also wash around the vagina after sex to prevent unwanted bacteria and foreign bodies from entering the vaginal canal after sex. But remember, these actions won’t prevent sexually transmitted infection. A physical barrier is still your best option.
Whether you have a mild itch or a suspicion of something serious, a doctor is a good person to turn to. If you have a persistent itch for more than a week or if it turns into inflammation with a smelly discharge, see a doctor immediately. And if there’s a new vaginal hygiene practice that catches your attention, a doctor is the best person to assess if it is right for you.
The vaginal canal is made up of muscles just like the arms and legs. Pelvic floor exercises that involve contracting and relaxing muscles in the hip region can be very helpful in keeping the vagina strong and flexible. This is especially ideal post-pregnancy when the vagina loses some of its elasticity. By doing these exercises often, it can be restored to its previous physical state.
Performing yoga regularly can also help your vaginal muscles. The ashwini mudra (horse pose) can increase blood flow to the pelvic region, tone the vaginal muscles, and keep the vaginal tissue healthy. Specifically, this move entails contracting and releasing muscles in the pelvic region.
Dr. Sharmila Majumdar
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]]>This is one of the most common misconceptions, responsible for many unwanted pregnancies. Also known as the withdrawal method, it has a high rate of contraception failure. This is because some pre-ejaculation fluid (or pre-come) may be released before the man actually ejaculates. This pre-come contains spermatozoids, and it takes only one sperm to get you pregnant! In addition, some men may not have enough self control to withdraw in time…
Keep in mind that pre-ejaculation fluid can also contain sexually transmitted infections, so pulling out will not prevent you from getting an infection.
The chances of getting pregnant while on your period are low, but it may happen, mainly in women with shorter cycle –i.e., if you get your period every 21-24 days. In such case, your ovulation occurs around the 10th to 12th day after the beginning of your period. Since sperm can live up to 5 days inside your body, if you have sex towards the end of your period, sperm can wait for the egg to be released and you may become pregnant.
But even in women with longer, regular cycles, the ovulation may eventually take place earlier… So remember, you can get pregnant at any time of the month if you have sex without contraception.
It has been suggested (mostly by internet rumours) that it is dangerous to take the emergency contraception pill more than one or twice in your life. According to the World Health Organisation: “Emergency contraceptive pills are for emergency use only and are not appropriate for regular use as an ongoing contraceptive method because of the higher possibility of failure compared with non-emergency contraceptives. In addition, frequent use of emergency contraception can result in side-effects such as menstrual irregularities, although their repeated use poses no known health risks.” Emergency contraception pills are very safe and do not harm future fertility. Side effects are uncommon and generally mild.
Some women believe that having sex in certain positions, such as standing up, sitting down, or if they jump up and down afterwards, they won’t get pregnant as sperm will be forced out of the vagina. In fact, sperm are very strong swimmers! It has been showed that within 5 minutes, sperm are able to reach the tube, where the fertilization of the egg takes place, and this happens regardless of the position you have sex in.
There’s no such thing as a “safe” position if you’re having sex without a condom or another form of contraception. There are also no “safe” places to have sex, including the bathtub, the shower or the sea.
Although these three methods are the best-known, there are 15 different methods of contraception (the available options differ in each country). Unfortunately -for women- there are only two choices for men (the male condom and permanent sterilization). Women have a choice of about 13 methods, including several of long-acting reversible contraception -this means you don’t need to remember to take it or use it every day or every time you have sex.
In the USA, 44% of adolescent girls ages 15 to 19 have had sexual intercourse. Although most of them have used contraception, teenagers frequently use methods with high failure rates -such as withdrawal, or they incorrectly use more reliable methods -such as the pill. In fact, 8 out of every 10 adolescent pregnancies are unintended.
The intrauterine device (IUD), a small device that is inserted into the uterus, has been traditionally reserved to women who have had children. However, new guidelines issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have changed this old perception. The IUD, together with the contraceptive implant, are considered now first-line contraceptive options for sexually active adolescents and young women. They are the most effective reversible contraceptives for preventing unintended pregnancy, with about 99% effectiveness.
Of course, the IUD and the implant do not protect against sexually transmitted infections, therefore you should also use condoms for that purpose.
These persistent misconceptions are, unfortunately, still responsible for many unplanned pregnancies. If the intercourse takes place during your fertile period, you may become pregnant, whether it’s the first or the hundredth time you’ve had sex, whether you liked it or not.
Condoms may occasionally break. Many people think that using two condoms (also known as “double bagging”) is safer than using one. Actually, it’s exactly the opposite: using two condoms causes friction between them, increasing the risk of breakage. Thus, two condoms should not be used, neither for pregnancy prevention or for safer sex. This is also true for using a male and a female condom at the same time. When used properly, a male condom is 98% effective at preventing pregnancy, a female condom is 95% effective.
During intercourse, adding lubricant may ease penetration, so sex is pleasurable and not painful. This is important when, for many reasons (such as stress, medications, taking the pill, etc) the natural wetness of the genital area is reduced.
Lubricants can be made from water, oil, petroleum or silicone. However, when using condoms, water-based lubricants should be used. Oil-based products such as petroleum jelly, creams, or baby oil and can damage the latex and make the condom more likely to split, resulting in no contraceptive protection.
Silicone-based lubricants are a newer form of lubrication; they are safe to use with condoms. However, they can be harder to wash off and may cause irritation.
This is another very common misconception. After stopping the oral contraceptive pill you may get pregnant immediately. But sometimes it may take two or three cycles for your fertility to fully return, no matter how long you have been using it. Some studies have shown that, within a year after going off the pill, 80% of women trying to get pregnant will get pregnant – exactly like women who were never on the pill.
Vaginal douching (washing out the vagina) after sex won’t help to prevent a pregnancy. Again, this has to do with spermatozoa being fast swimmers. By the time a woman starts douching, sperm are already well inside the uterine cervix, where no douching solution can reach them.
In fact, you should never douche. Douching can lead to many health problems, including problems getting pregnant, vaginal infections and sexually transmitted infections.
While you’re less fertile when breastfeeding, you may become pregnant. There is no accurate way to predict when fertility returns, even if you breastfeed exclusively. You may not menstruate for several months after giving birth, but at some point you will have your first ovulation. This is where you can get pregnant- and this will occur two weeks before you get your first period.
Thus, when nursing you should use birth control if you wish to avoid pregnancy.
If you have a regular cycle of 28 days, the ovulation usually occurs the 14th day of your cycle. But it’s not only that day that you are fertile. As said before, sperm can live in the cervix for up to 5 days, waiting for the egg to be released. Studies have shown that most pregnancies result from intercourse that takes place during a six-day period ending on the day of ovulation. Once the egg leaves the ovary, in about 24 hours it dies, and the fertile period is over.
However, even in women with a perfectly regular cycle, the hormonal balance involved in the ovulation process can be disrupted by many factors. These include stress, medications, etc, which can lead to an earlier or delayed ovulation. Thus, trying to avoid a pregnancy by just having intercourse on the “safe” days can be difficult and may eventually result in an unwanted pregnancy.
A survey conducted in France showed that “…one in ten young women ages 15 to 20 is not aware that the pill does not protect against HIV and sexually transmitted infections”. In fact, the only contraceptive method that offers protection against STIs is the condom. Barrier methods, such as the diaphragm, do not to keep bacteria out of the vagina. Others like the pill and IUD offer no STI protection at all.
Dr. Sharmila Majumdar
The post CONTRACEPTION: 14 COMMON MYTHS – BUSTED appeared first on Dr. Sharmila Majumdar - Sexologist Psychoanalyst in Hyderabad.
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