8 Things Your Gynecologist Wishes You Knew

Of course, visiting the gynecologist every single time you have a vaginal health question is not always reasonable and affordable. Therefore, it’s important to know some essential things about vaginal health that will help you understand what is normal and what can indicate a problem. We’ve collected 8 essential tips to maintain vaginal health.

1. It’s not necessary to wear underwear to maintain a healthy vagina 

We need to wear underwear to protect our clothes from discharge. Also, it can protect your delicate pars if you happen to be wearing something rough, like jeans. If your discharge is usually light and you’re not wearing tight things that are made of a material that could irritate your skin down there, feel free not to wear underwear. Actually, this can even reduce sweat and buildup of moisture, thus reduce the risk of a yeast infection.

2. Itching and burning sensations don’t always indicate a yeast infection.

Of course, itching and burning are very common signs of a yeast infection. However, these could also be signals of bacterial vaginosis or a sexually transmitted infection. In this case, it’s wise consulting your doctor especially if you keep self-treating “yeast infections” that don’t go away. Itching and burning could be a sign you’re dealing with another issue.

3. It’s important to monitor discharge since unusual colors or consistencies can indicate an issue.

The discharge tends to change throughout your menstrual cycle. Vaginal discharge occurs due to your vagina lubricating and cleaning itself and can look different depending on what’s happening in your body.

As your body gets closer to ovulation, your discharge will become clear. Around four days later, if you have a regular cycle, you’ll notice less discharge and it will likely be sticky and cloudy. Then the cycle begins all over again. Taking hormonal birth control pills with estrogen can affect the vaginal discharge cycle and change it and it’s normal. 

However, if your discharge looks like cottage cheese, it could indicate a yeast infection. Green, gray, yellow, or white discharges are symptoms of bacterial vaginosis or trichomoniasis. Don’t try to identify your issue on your own and see a gynecologist.

4. Blood clots bigger than a quarter during the period are a reason to turn to a doctor.

Blood clots usually occur for two reasons: when blood stays in one area for too long and when your flow is heavy and moving quickly. This means your body’s anticoagulants are not able to keep up and prevent clots from forming.

Regularly occurring clots larger than a quarter could be a sign that you suffer from an underlying health issue causing heavy bleeding, for instance, uterine fibroids or endometriosis. Consult your doctor and get proper endometriosis or fibroids treatment. 

5. You don’t have to clean your vulva with any special care products. 

The vulva consists of the external genitalia (pubic mound, labia, and clitoris) and internal genitalia (vagina) and, yes, it doesn’t require special care products. 

There’s a lot of misconception about how to clean one’s genitals. Using special scrubs or washes can cause irritation. Mild soap and water are really all you need. As for your vagina, you don’t need to clean it at all. Actually, the vagina is like a self-cleaning oven, unless something is wrong, it cleans itself with discharge. You shouldn’t help it out with any products.

6. A slight scent is normal, while too strong smell might be due to a health problem.

Your vagina shouldn’t smell like a cookie or a flower. A vaginal smell differs depending on factors like discharge and vagina’s microbiome and it can sometimes indicate any health issue. 

A fishy smell can signal an infection, for instance, bacterial vaginosis, however, a weird smell doesn’t always indicate any infection. It can even occur due to leaving a tampon in for too long. In any case, if the smell is constantly weird, It’s time to see your doctor in order to identify a problem.

7. Petroleum jelly or oil for lube can be harmful 

Using petroleum jelly or oil for lube can throw off the pH balance of your vagina and lead to issues. Try to use water-based lube without glycerin or silicone-based lubes instead of oil-based lubes.

8. Don’t forget to get tested for sexually transmitted infections regularly.

No matter your situation, you need to get tested as often as your gynecologist recommends based on your risk factors. And that’s true even if you’re in a monogamous relationship. Keep in mind that getting tested doesn’t mean your partner is cheating. STIs are not always symptomatic, therefore you may have picked one up before you got in a monogamous relationship. 

Early STI detection is essential as this will help you get rid of any symptoms and figure out a treatment plan with your healthcare provider. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can trigger the pelvic inflammatory disease. This can result in chronic pelvic pain and infertility.