What Genitals?
The first challenge confronted when teaching good hygiene practices to girls and women is making them consciously aware of their external genitals. If girls and women are not aware of their genitals it is very difficult to get them to care for them. We live in a society that denies the existence of their genitals. We seldom hear mention of the words "vulva" and "clitoris." They are taboo. All we usually hear about is the "vagina." When "feminine hygiene" is mentioned we usually think of menstruation and the internal reproductive organs, not the vulva. Care of the clitoris and vulva is seldom if ever mentioned and as a result they are often completely neglected or the attention they receive is harmful.
Note: I have addressed this topic in more detail on the page about Clitoral and Labial Size.
A Secret Fragile Garden
During puberty remember the first time you found your underwear covered with a clear to yellowish colored fluid that was watery or sticky in consistency? Did you believe you were sick or had injured your genitals while exploring the changing landscape? You likely had no one to talk too about this body fluid and knew asking would be inappropriate since it involved "down there." You may have grown to accept this continuous and ever changing flow of fluid, but never knew why it existed, accepting it as part of being a woman.
Where does this fluid come from, what does it do, and why me you ask? The same thing that was responsible for the development of your breasts and the start of your menstrual cycle is also responsible for this fluid, estrogen. It is necessary if your body is to stay "healthy." This fluid is part of your body's natural defenses against infection. When you start menstruating and engaging in partnered sex your body needs to be able to eliminate potentially harmful organisms that may try to take advantage of the presence of menses (blood) or that you may acquire from your sexual partner(s). Evolution has tried to ensure our survival by providing us with natural defenses.
I used the word "healthy" above in place of the word "clean" as we often have the wrong idea of what clean means in regards to our bodies. Based on our common way of thinking, a clean body is actually an unhealthy one, especially when it comes to your vulva and vagina. Believe me, you do not want a clean vagina or vulva, you want them healthy.
Quoting Kenneth Todar:
"During reproductive life, from puberty to menopause, the vaginal epithelium contains glycogen due to the actions of circulating estrogens. Doderlein's bacillus predominates, being able to metabolize the glycogen to lactic acid. The lactic acid and other products of metabolism inhibit colonization by all except Doderlein's bacillus and a select number of lactic acid bacteria. The resulting low pH of the vaginal epithelium prevents establishment of most bacteria as well as the potentially pathogenic yeast, Candida albicans. This is a striking example of the protective effect of the normal bacterial flora for their human host."
Okay, lets try that in non-medical terms. Estrogen is produced by the ovaries and is the "female" sex hormone or chemical messenger that circulates throughout the body and prepares the body for conception, pregnancy, birth, and breast-feeding. Some areas of the body, like the breasts, vagina, and vulva are very sensitive to this chemical messenger. The outer skin cells of vagina are told by estrogen to store a type of sugar. Beneficial and common bacteria that live in the vagina consume this sugar and release a mild acid. The resulting acidic environment prevents unwanted organisms from living in the vagina and entering your body and thus prevents yeast and other forms of infection.
You can see how bacteria, which we usually consider to be bad, are extremely important in preventing "harmful organisms" from entering your body through your vulva and vagina. Bacteria actively protect you from disease. This is why a "clean" vagina is an unhealthy one. If your vagina does not contain these beneficial bacteria it cannot protect itself. If you create an unhealthy environment inside your vagina beneficial bacteria cannot survive, leaving you vulnerable. If you change the vaginal environment by douching, making it too dry, moist, or warm it cannot protect you. If you introduce anything into the vagina that kills this beneficial bacteria, harmful bacteria, funguses, and the like can take over and you end up with an infection. A yeast infection is the most common form of infection that results when the beneficial bacteria lose the fight.
As a result of this defensive process your body and vagina are always producing vaginal fluids that exit the body through the vulva. This fluid contains the unwanted and potentially harmful material your body is trying to literally wash away, similar to urination. Your body cleans itself and does not need your help. If you did not wear form fitting clothing the moisture would either dry out on your outer labia and pubic hair, or fall to the ground. It may also travel down your thighs and evaporate away. As a result of the water evaporating away, most bacteria, funguses etc. cannot survive and die. The surrounding air would also be cooler than body temperature. The cooler dry environment would prevent the harmful bacteria from reproducing and forming an infection. Trap this moisture against your warm body and it is a different story.
The amount of vaginal flow is greatest mid-cycle, day fourteen, of the menstrual cycle, when ovulation occurs. The peak flow rate is 1.96 grams [0.4 teaspoons] over an eight hour period. During a twenty four hour period that equates to 1.2 teaspoons. The lightest flow days are days seven and twenty-six with 1.38 and 1.37 grams [0.3 teaspoons] per eight hours respectively. This equates to almost a full teaspoon over a twenty-four hour period. The amounts given are presumed to be averages, so some women will have greater or lesser flow rates. These values apply to women who experience menstrual cycles. To get an idea of how much liquid this is pour a teaspoon of water on your kitchen counter. Now envision this flowing from your vagina and coming in contact with your clothing. See below for information on flow rates during menstruation.
Estrogen
Keep in mind the important roll of estrogen in you bodily defenses and how medications, birth control pills, and menopause may affect your body's natural defenses. Lifestyle, diet, and vitamins may also influence your estrogen levels. If you do not have sufficient estrogen in your system or if for some reason your body is insensitive to estrogen, you may be more susceptible to infection. You may find you are more prone to infection at certain times in your menstrual cycle because of the changes in hormone levels. There is the possibility that even though your estrogen levels are in the very broad range of "normal," they may be too low for your body. There are different types of replacement estrogen and they do not work the same. Estrogen acquired from female horses, Premarin, may not work for you, or you may need to use an estrogen cream on your vulva and vagina in addition to using oral estrogen. Hormone replacement is a very complex subject and is something doctors actually know little about.
Menstruation
Your menstrual period is your uterus' way of caring for itself. The opening through the cervix into your uterus is very tiny, but it must permit sperm to enter if an egg is to be fertilized. If sperm can enter so can potentially harmful organisms. If this should happen you may find yourself with a pelvic infection, which can be very painful and result in infertility. To help prevent this your uterus sheds its lining frequently and hopefully washes away any harmful organisms that are present. While menstruation can be troublesome at times it is beneficial for your body. Your vagina then rinses away any remaining menstrual fluid when your period has ended.
There is a growing debate over whether menstruation is necessary on a monthly basis to keep a woman's body healthy, or if menstruation is necessary at all. In the past, a woman spent a greater percentage of her lifetime pregnant and nursing so she would menstruate far less often than women do today. Women are also living longer and are menstruating for a greater number of years. The question becomes, is menstruation a burden on women's lives or is not menstruating a health risk? I do not believe we know the answer to that question at this time. Each woman must decide whether taking a medication that stops menstruation is appropriate for her.
The average amount of menstrual flow is 30-40 mL [6 to 8 teaspoons] [2-3 tablespoons] over the course of an entire menstrual period. To get an idea of how much liquid this is, pour two or three tablespoons of water on your kitchen counter. The amount varies from woman to woman, from 15 to 724 mL [3 to 147 teaspoons] [147 teaspoons equals 3 cups]. Amounts in excess of 80 mL [16 teaspoons] [5 tablespoons] [1/3 of a cup] is considered excessive and requires medical evaluation. During the first three days of flow, the average flow rate is 1.07 grams [0.23 teaspoons] per hour, or 1 teaspoon every five hours. Since these are averages, the minimum and maximum can be significantly greater or lower. "Each soaked normal-sized tampon or pad holds a teaspoon (5ml) of blood. That means it is normal to soak one to seven normal-sized pads or tampons ("sanitary products") in a whole period." A "regular" sized tampon can absorb 6 to 9 grams [1.2-1.9 teaspoons] [6 to 9 mL] according to US government set standards. The liquid absorbed by a tampon is 65% blood and 35% genital fluids. It is the absorption of the "genital fluids" that dries the vagina out, at times causing problems removing tampons.
Your Vulva
Your vulva is actually part of your body's natural defensive barriers to disease. The folds of your vulva and their moist surfaces may stick together helping to keep unwanted things out. The body fluids produced by the skin of your vulva, like sebum, are further protection against infection. The white cheesy smegma, collected sebum, that may form between your labia and under your clitoral hood actually protects your body and is not a health risk, nor does it indicate poor hygiene practices. (See photos shown below) Your vulva should be moist on the inside, but excess moisture needs to be able to evaporate or wick away when it reaches your outer labia. If clothing traps the body fluids the accumulated fluids will need to evaporated away, increasing the risk of infection.
Many women have inner labia that project beyond their protective outer labia where form-fitting clothing can irritate them. It is not unusual for women to report minor irritation involving their vulva, though this irritation is not normal. The problem is their clothing, not their body. When a woman sees other women wearing form-fitting clothing she assumes she should be able to wear the same, even though this simply is not true. How do you know the women you see dressed in this manner are not experiencing irritation and infection? Do not blame your body if it causes you discomfort or pain when you neglect or abuse it. If the problem were a woman's body it would not be shaped the way that it is and our species would not have survived the evolutionary process. There is a reason why your body is formed as it is and functions as it does.
Scent Versus Smell
If you slip your fingers between your labia and then smell them you should detect a distinctive scent. It may be light, strong, pungent, musky, or earthy but there should be a scent that is yours alone. If anything, the scent should smell pleasant, perhaps additive. Many women enjoy smelling their genital fluids while they masturbate. Men, and perhaps women, are often aroused by this scent and will sometimes spend hours giving oral pleasure as a result. (Ladies, your partner may actually "enjoy" or be "driven" to give you oral pleasure even if you cannot understand why.) If there is no scent or it smells like roses or fish, there is something wrong. A "fishy odor" is NOT normal and is likely an indication of a bacterial infection. Unpleasant "odors" are the result of bacterial infections, something allowed bacteria that are normally present to become numerous. Perfumes simply do not belong on or near the vulva, as they are a potential irritant.
Please see this Q&A for additional information: qa_31.htm#q8
It is bacteria, not body fluids that are responsible for scents and odors. Your body fluids are not the problem. Special apocrine sweat glands located around the vulva, nipples, anus, and underarms produce a type of sweat that is broken down by specific bacteria. These bacteria in turn produce a distinctive scent. These scents tell people who we are and what our current reproductive or sexual state is. Eccrine glands are more numerous and cover larger areas of the body and produce much of the sweat we produce. Fresh sweat and body fluids are not unpleasant to smell, but can become so once bacteria feed on them and reproduce given time. The solution is allowing the excess moisture to evaporate away naturally.
Americans have become overly concerned with and adverse to bodily scents. Mass advertising has led us to believe any scent or odor coming from the human body is bad and will result in those around us rejecting us. This is true because advertising has made it so. Advertising has used preexisting believes to create a need for their products. This does not mean women, and men, should be embarrassed by or try to hide their natural scents. We must learn how to distinguish between normal body scents and odors. If you cannot smell the person next to you or they smell of perfume, this is not natural or necessarily healthy and beneficial.
