People often associate “women’s health” with pap smears, mammograms and pregnancy care; however, feminine health encompasses much more.
Your external sex organs include your vulva and vagina, including inner and outer lips of your labia (LAY-bee-uh), as well as its opening to the urethra. A healthy vulva contains both good and bad bacteria for proper functioning.
Vaginal pH
The pH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of solutions found within our bodies, such as bodily liquids. A healthy vagina has an optimal pH value between 3.8 to 5.0 which is slightly acidic to protect itself against harmful microbes.
This natural balance may be upset by factors like antibiotics, vaginal douching and feminine hygiene products containing fragrance. Furthermore, infections like yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis may alter pH levels significantly; left untreated they could have serious long-term repercussions for health.
Over-the-counter vaginal pH self-test kits can help women monitor and test their normal pH levels at home, making them especially useful if experiencing symptoms of vaginitis like itching, burning sensations or unusual odor. Unfortunately, however, these tests cannot detect sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, Chlamydia, Herpes or Gonorrhea – so it is wise to visit a healthcare professional if experiencing these signs and symptoms for diagnosis and treatment purposes.
Hygiene
Hygiene is vital to female health, particularly during puberty when the vulva undergoes many changes. Washing with mild cleanser daily to keep it clean and dry is vital. Use of hypoallergenic products with no fragrances or dyes would be ideal. Furthermore, getting at least seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night allows your body to repair itself while you rest.
Douching should be avoided as it can disrupt the natural vulva microbiome and cause irritation, while using harsh soaps is also not advised as they may exacerbate inflammation. A more gentle solution would be using hypoallergenic liquid wash with clinical testing results that have confirmed it does not cause irritation or alter the pH balance of your vulva. Vaginal steaming should also be avoided since this can damage skin; showering or bathing with warm water instead is more suitable.
Infections
There are a variety of infections that can impact the vulva and cause discomfort, including yeast (also known as vaginal candidiasis) and bacterial vaginosis. These conditions arise when bacteria and fungi in your vulva become imbalanced, leading to infections like these.
Lactobacillus bacteria dominate a healthy vaginal microbiome and help acidify the vulva to defend against pathogens, making an optimal environment for protection from pathogens. Unfortunately, however, hormone changes, sexual activity, hygiene practices or other factors may disrupt its balance and disrupt it completely.
Signs of infection include itching, discharge or an unpleasant odor. While genital warts typically resolve on their own, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pelvic inflammatory disease require immediate medical treatment. Diagnosis involves examining your vulva and asking about symptoms before your doctor swabs it for testing to identify which type of infection exists and provide treatment plans accordingly.
Treatment
Women’s health refers to more than just reproductive organs; it includes all bodily systems. Women’s health encompasses wider issues related to gender identity or sexual orientation as well as experiences of oppression.
Good feminine hygiene can help protect against infections caused by changes to the normal bacteria of the vulva, including yeast infections (a type of fungus) and bacterial vaginosis (BV), both caused by normal bacteria becoming imbalanced. To minimize irritation to skin and mucous membranes while maintaining moist conditions in your vulva it’s essential that soap alternatives, shower gels, sanitary pads with hypoallergenic formulas that are pH friendly are used when overcleaning occurs; alternatively using an emollient can moisturize this area and avoid overcleaning; medication such as metronidazole or clindamycin can treat these infections with lotions you put directly onto vulva or pill form;
