LADIES HEALTH CORNER: Washing of Vagina with soap is dangerous to health!

By: Olayinka Latona

“How on earth will I not wash my vagina with soap, it is a normal thing to do as a woman. I would smell and will not feel comfortable if I do not wash it thoroughly”.

This is the believe of majority of women, for many washing of the vulva with favourite shower gel or soap is a regular daily routine. We grew up knowing our mothers, sisters, and friends did this and many of us were told that washing themselves with soap is necessary to stay clean and avoid unpleasant odour.

Have you ever stopped to think whether this is the right thing to do, or it is just because we are told to do so?  Though there are various products aimed specifically for “intimate freshness” which is meant for women, playing on an idea that women smell unless they wash with fragrance cleaning products. Unfortunately, what is more worrying is that most women do not even know that this habbit can be potentially harmful to their health.

Many women will say soap is fine, even those who know the potential risks will say that a mild soap is still suitable stressing that they themselves use this without having any problems.

However as true as this may be for those individuals but for a large number of women this can cause health problems that can go on without the knowledge of the cause. According to health experts, regardless of how fine a cleaning with soap may feel, it still remains bad for vaginal health; an unnecessary act which is often seen as a necessity.

Truthfully women's vaginas and vulvas are not as dirty as some people seem to think, certainly the smell of the vagina is not one that should be removed or covered up. It is not a foul smell and far from something that should repel men, rather expert said it is a natural sexual attractant.

Expert says women are supposed to have a smell, bacteria (both good and bad), yeast and are supposed to have fluids leaving the vagina both during menstruation and as everyday discharge.

According to Dr. Morenike Ukpong, Coordinator of New HIV Vaccine and Microbicide Advocacy Society (NHVMAS) she revealed that the vaginal is a self-contained environment, which keeps itself healthy and is self-cleaning adding that it only needs little help from us unless an infection occurs, and then it is up to gynecologist to prescribe just what we need.

Continuing she explained that soap can cause irritation and inflammation of the mucosa much in the same way as it would cause irritation of the vaginal. This not only causes discomfort but can also leave women more susceptible to Sexual Transmitted Diseases STD’s.  She explained that the vagina has a very delicate bacterial and PH balance (pH balance is a fundamental component of vaginal health) and with the effect of soaps having differing PH levels, it can affect the normal vaginal PH level and may lead to imbalances in the bacteria levels.

Bacteria are naturally occurring in the vagina, however when the anaerobic bacteria, genital mycoplasmas and gardnerella vaginalis overgrow or lactobacilli are reduced, then this can cause bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis is a bacterial infection that is common in many women, most commonly caused by this PH imbalance. The symptoms are not always present however when they are women will experience excessive discharge and a foul 'fish' type smell. This infection is not necessarily serious, unless the women has a IUD or the infection progresses further into the vagina, however this infection can be very stubborn to get rid of and modern medicine cannot always guarantee successful treatment. The PH imbalance can also affect the naturally occurring yeast in the vagina, again leading to infection and further irritation through yeast infections.

There are also unseen risks that of synthetic chemicals, majority of modern cosmetics are constructed from complex mixtures of synthetic chemicals. Alone these chemicals pose little risk however combined with other products they can create a cause for concern, particularly if exposed to the delicate mucosa of the vagina and vulva.

It may be tempting to use soaps, douches or feminine sprays if an infection is already present; however these will only complicate existing infections. Douching can have these negative effects, as it pushes harmful bacteria farther up into the reproductive system as well as using soap which removes all vaginal bacteria. For women who do not experience infection through use of soap they may well still wish to use soap, however this remains completely unnecessary as your body knows best.

Expert view on how to clean the vulva

To clean the vulva, gently spread the inner and outer labia to wash between them with your hands while in the bath or shower, wash forwards towards your clitoral head being careful not to clean too harshly or excessively. While cleaning, be sure to use your fingers to gently wash away any dead skin within the inner labia and clean away any discharge. The vulva should be dried gently with a towel. Also remember detergents used on your flannels and towels can also cause irritation and harbour bacteria. An even better method is to avoid friction which causes the spread of bacteria. This can be done by setting a hair dryer on its cool setting, or better yet, run around the house free and naked.

Likewise avoid using sprays even if advertised as feminine hygiene sprays these too can have a similar effect as soaps.

As tempting as it is, if you suffer from infections or feel uneasy about your natural smell it is in your best interests to learn to wash and care for your vagina without the use of soaps, douches,  sprays, wipes or coloured and scented toilet papers.