Feminine health refers to all the aspects that contribute to women’s physical and psychological wellbeing, including hormones, diet and lifestyle factors.
Avoid using scented soaps or feminine hygiene products on the vulva, as this may alter its natural pH balance and increase irritation. Douching may also remove beneficial vaginal bacteria that have built up over time – increasing your risk of infection.
Menstrual Hygiene
Menstrual hygiene (period equity) includes providing women with affordable and accessible menstrual products as well as access to clean water, soap and sanitation facilities; education about menstruation is also integral in breaking down stigma associated with it.
Women and girls without access to adequate period supplies are at an increased risk for health complications. Poor practices like using rags, old cloth or even mud as period supplies can expose them to infections such as Hepatitis or HIV due to the blood-soaked materials providing breeding grounds for pathogens that spread further contamination in water bodies where these materials end up.
millions of adolescent girls, women, and non-binary people do not have access to adequate menstrual supplies they require for managing their periods safely and with dignity due to gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, taboos, poverty or social stigmas. But providing enough supplies can improve menstrual hygiene for millions, leading them to lead happier lives – one simple solution would be ensuring each girl and woman has affordable yet quality period products as well as clean water and soap to wash hands and body regularly.
Vulvar Hygiene
Women should use mild soap that doesn’t irritate the skin to wash their vulva at least once daily, using circular motions between lips to clean out bacteria from entering from behind and increasing itching and infections. An emollient (cream or ointment that provides moisturise to replenish and protect moisture loss) may also provide additional comfort if necessary.
There is currently limited medical literature about intimate feminine hygiene practices and their effect on external vulva microbiota, but maintaining an ideal balance between transient and resident microflora should have an enormous effect on overall vulvovaginal health. Therefore it is crucial that women learn proper feminine hygiene practices such as using external topical washes regularly to keep odor-causing bacteria at bay as well as changing cotton underwear regularly to limit further accumulation of bacteria that produce unpleasant smells.
Sexual Hygiene
Sexual hygiene involves practicing daily hygiene around both the genital area and on an overall body level. Gentle cleansing with intimate wash, wearing cotton underwear for women when possible and avoiding tight clothing are all effective means of keeping infections and discomfort at bay.
Douching disrupts the natural vaginal flora and increases your risk for yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Drinking plenty of water and maintaining a well-balanced diet also can help protect you against infection and reduce illness.
Though much of this book covers sexual topics, its purpose is not intended to be offensive or inappropriate; rather, it serves to explore medical misconceptions surrounding sexology and reproductive medicine during the early 1900s. This book includes speeches delivered at meetings held at Alkaloidal Clinic in Chicago by experts in these fields – these writings and speeches still remain valid today and offer insight into historical medical misconceptions regarding physiology, gender roles and sexual practices.
