Feminine Hygiene - Proper Care of Your Vulva and Vagina, Part 2

Warning: Clothing May Be Hazardous to Your Health!

Did you know your body was not designed with clothing in mind? In fact, our bodies are designed for us to go without clothing. If this were not true, can you name any other animal on this planet that wears clothing? The female reproductive and sexual organs of many species are formed and function much the same as our own, but their vulva is plainly visible for all to see, and more importantly, exposed to the open air.

If you look at the history of women's clothing you will find women have only recently started wearing form-fitting cloths, for less than one hundred years. While there are a few exceptions, women have almost always worn nothing, loincloths, skirts, or dresses. It is important to note they did not wear anything underneath these articles of clothing. Clothing was never in constant contact with the vulva. Women knew wearing form-fitting clothing was more likely to result in a yeast infection, long before "doctors" existed. When undergarments did come into existence they were loose fitting and only recently have they been designed to allow for form-fitting outer garments. It is interesting to note that when underwear first came to be, only "sexual women" wore it, whereas the opposite is true today.

Women's fashion started to change with the advent of commercially produced sanitary napkins and tampons following World War I (1914-1918). Prior to that women usually wore bulky homemade diapers, for lack of a better description, during their menstrual period. You could never hide these under form-fitting clothing. During World War II (1939-1945) thousands of women entered the industrial workforce where skirts and dresses were often times not appropriate, because of modesty and the need for physical protection and mobility. Still, dresses and skirts were the style of the day at home and out on the town. "Feminine" women still wore dresses.

This changed during the sexual revolution. During the sexual revolution women fought for sexual equality, to be treated the same as men, not as lesser beings. The battle in part concerned whether women were physically equal to men and due equal recognition and compensation. If women's bodies were no different, with the exception of the obvious differences, or at least no less then men's, they could and should receive the same pay and respect. If men and women are truly the same they should also be able to dress the same. Persons with authority and power after all wore pants. If women were to be seen as having power and authority they too should wear pants. Unfortunately, the battle cry become, "If men can wear pants, women must wear pants!"

The question that was not asked was, "Should men be wearing pants?" The answer to that question is "no." Form fitting clothing holds the testicles too close to the body and the increased temperature decreases sperm production. A minor inconvenience many would say. We do not take into consideration that warm moist dark places are great breeding grounds for harmful organisms like bacteria and fungus, but then circumcision probably takes care of that problem; I am by no means trying to justify circumcision. It is interesting to note that men have seldom worn form-fitting clothing throughout history too. As peculiar as it sounds, women should have required men to wear dresses, not dressed as men do.

Clothing and the Changing Work Environment

Something to consider is how industrialization and urbanization has affected women's lives and health. In the not so recent past people wandered from place to place looking for food and water. They owned few material possessions and their clothing was as minimal and simple as circumstances permitted. There was little time for sitting around. As people settled down and started to raise their own food, women primarily worked at home. Her home being a small farm where she gave birth, cared for her children, and performed manual labor. She worked from sun up to sun down and there was seldom time for her to sit and relax. When people left farms for the city, women often became housewives but others became office workers and saleswomen. With time women started working in factories on assembly lines. As the pressure to marry decreased and women became more independent increasing numbers of women went to work outside the home instead of starting a family right away. Many of these jobs require women to sit in one place for several hours each day. When at home women may spend considerable time sitting while watching television, talking on the phone, or using the computer. While not readily obvious, women today, in industrial societies, spend a considerable amount of time sitting in a chair.

Why should the amount of time women spend sitting be a cause for concern? Consider where your vulva is and the environment that exists around it when you are sitting in a chair. Your vulva is likely concealed by panties and thick denim pants and is pressed against the padding of your chair. If you are wearing a dress then you may have pantyhose on in addition to your panties. Consider things if you use a panty liner daily. How much body-heat does these layers of clothing and the chair on which you sit trap? How does the moisture your body produces twenty-four hours a day evaporate away? When you go to the bathroom do you find your panties and pubic hair to be warm and moist? What likes warm moist dark places?

Balancing Lifestyle Requirements and Caring for Your Body

If form fitting clothing is bad for women then the women who read this article will only wear dresses and skirts and nothing underneath from here on out right? Unfortunately this is probably not a reasonable expectation. Today, a modern woman is often defined as woman who wears pants. There is social and peer pressure on women to dress in a certain way. A woman cannot be taken serious if she is wearing a dress, some believe. Dresses and skirts may be impractical in some work and school environments. While wearing dresses and skirts with nothing on underneath may be the ideal, it may not be a possibility for the average woman, while at work and school, in today's society.

Changes that have occurred in society can prohibit women and girls from wearing loose fitting clothing at all times. Today, they are much more physically active and more likely to be involved in outdoor recreation and sports. Lets face it, you do not want to be wearing a skirt or dress when you slide into home plate or are tackled on the football field. Many occupations and sports require personal protection and mobility. Mores concerning modesty and nudity do not permit women to swim naked or hike through the woods wearing only a loincloth, unfortunately. Things are not as simple as they once were.

The main thing to keep in mind is, women are not at work or school twenty-four hours a day and usually do not engaged in athletic activities for more than an hour each day. Women spend the remaining time at home or engaged in casual or less structured activities. Doing the laundry is still work but you can wear what you want. If you are sitting at home eating diner, watching the television, or cuddling with your partner, there is no reason you must wear pants or for that matter, clothing at all. At night you can sleep nude or while wearing only a simple nightshirt; if you are cold put another blanket on the bed and wear socks. If you are socializing with friends after work or school, you can wear a dress or skirt. It does take some thought, self-awareness, and effort, but dressing in a manner that is good for your body does have its benefits. Unfortunately, the benefits of wearing loose fitting clothing become most apparent to women when it is too late, when their body has already been damaged or their life made very unpleasant by chronic vaginal or vulvar infections.

Respect Your Body

When women must wear form-fitting clothing they must acknowledge and respect the limits set by their body. Clothing that rubs against your vulva constantly, traps moisture, and holds in excess body heat is bad regardless of the situation. Wearing skintight outfits may be fashionable at the gym but are abusive to your body and vulva. Harmful bacteria are going to have a bonanza in your tight sweaty hot aerobics outfit that has just irritated your delicate genital tissues by rubbing against them while you did one thousand reps on the stair-climber. Tight jeans may attract attention and give you orgasms when you are walking down the street, but the constant friction and thick fabric is abusive to your vulva. Women should also be aware of the possible effects of wearing a bra that forces their breasts into an unnatural shape, redistributes gravitational forces, and traps moisture and heat may have on their breasts. Do not allow fashion to ruin your life or cause health issues to arise. Respect your body, it is the only one you have.

Proper Care

If women respect their bodies and allow their body to care for itself there is little if anything they must do to care for it. Your vulva and vagina are not "dirty" so they do not need "cleaning." The only things that should come in contact with your vulva are air and plain water; your vagina is best left alone. Everything else is a potential irritant.

Here is a list of recommendations for caring for your vulva and vagina. It is mostly a list of what not to do, as many women and girls have been misinformed about their body and commonly do things that may harm it.

Do not use soap: Soaps may irritate and dry out the delicate mucous membranes of your vulva. Antibacterial soaps will kill all bacteria, not just the harmful ones. Do not use scented soaps. Use only plain water to rinse your vulva. Be aware that the water out of your faucet often contains chemicals like chlorine that may irritate your vulva, especially if you have sensitive skin. You may have to use filtered water.
Do not use scented products: Scents, perfumes, and deodorants all contain chemicals that are more likely to irritate than benefit your vulva. Deodorant pads and tampons contain chemicals that are unnecessary and they can cause irritation. If you are concerned by or aware of odor, change your pad or tampon more often. Your vulva should not smell like a flower, but like a vulva!
Do not use colored or scented toilet paper: Use only plain white toilet paper, though rinsing your vulva with plain water would be better, as is simply air drying. Toilet paper is too fragile and is made of ground up wood fibers that can get into places they do not belong. Do you want sawdust trapped in your vulva and vagina? Toilet paper fragments have even been found in the vagina of preadolescent girls. Europeans are more likely to have and use bidets.
Do not use panty liners: While panty liners may absorb moisture and protect your under garments they prevent air from getting to your vulva and the moisture and bacteria are trapped in the pad positioned directly against your warm vulva. By using these products you are wasting your money and potentially abusing your body.
Do not wear undergarments made of synthetic materials: Your panties should be made of 100% cotton to allow moisture out and air in. If you cannot go without make sure they do not trap moisture or body heat. Thongs and G-Strings may indicate sexual sophistication but given they cover so little anyways going without is perhaps a wiser choice. Wash your undergarment in detergents meant for delicate skin or infants. Chemicals in regular detergents may irritate your vulva.
Do not wear damp or wet clothing: Do not wear wet clothing like bathing suits and gyms cloths. As soon as you are done swimming or exercising change your cloths. If your panties and undergarments are normally moist you are more likely to get an infection and suffer from irritation. If you are a woman whose body produces an abundance of vaginal fluids see it as a motivator to wear loose fitting clothing and going bare bottomed.
Wear as little as possible: The more layers of clothing you wear covering your vulva the harder it will be for excess moisture and heat to escape your body. Cloths made from thick fabrics like denim will trap more heat and moisture. If you wear pants, make sure they fit loosely and are not made of a heavy fabric. When you wear a dress, do not wear pantyhose, as they trap heat and moisture; wear stocking and garters instead. At night, sleep nude.
Regular unscented pads and tampons can also be a source of irritation: The synthetic materials many of these products are made of can irritate the vulva and vagina and may contain chemical residues. The Always brand of sanitary napkins has been found to cause irritation in some women, perhaps because of the dry weave lining. It is recommended that women use pads and tampons made from natural products, as they are gentler on the body. Women can limit their exposure to these products and possible irritation by sleeping nude on a menstrual towel. If you use reusable cotton pads, wash them with a detergent meant for delicate skin or infants.
Do not douche: Douching washes away the natural body fluids and destroys your body's own natural defenses. Their use has been found to cause rather than prevent infection. Your vagina cares for itself and does not need your help. If your vulva or vagina has an unpleasant odor or discharge, time to see a doctor.
Do not self diagnose: Using over the counter antifungal, yeast, treatments can damage your vulva and vagina if you do not actually have a yeast infection, or have a resistant form. Do not believe that just because you can buy them without a prescription that they are harmless. I am aware of women who have severally damaged their body when they incorrectly used these products. Teens and young women may misdiagnose the cause of their vaginal fluids and/or irritation. Going to a doctor may be expensive or embarrassing but imagine life when you suffer from chronic vulvar pain and irritation and cannot comfortably walk, sit, masturbate, or engage in partner sex!
Avoid the feminine hygiene isle: If you can buy it in the "feminine hygiene" isle of your local store you do not need it. These items have existed for less than one hundred years which means women do not absolutely positively need them; despite what the ads on TV and in magazines have told you. Keep in mind that mass advertising has exploited your negative feelings about your body to get you to buy their products. Many of these companies want your money, not your good health. If your body was or is in good health and treated with respect you do not need their products.

All that a woman needs to do to care for her vulva is to rinse it with plain water at bath time and wear loose fitting clothing. Just slip your fingers between your labia and retract your clitoral hood and gently rinse away any accumulated body fluids. A washcloth and soap are not required and are advised against. Frequent bathing is not wise and can actually cause problems, so do not feel it necessary to rinse your vulva daily. Perhaps a quick sniff test can tell you if it is necessary; you need to be in tune with your body prior to doing this. As mentioned above, accumulation of sebum is not harmful. Sleep nude or while only wearing a nightshirt to allow your vulva to breathe while you sleep; you also do not want to wear a bra at night. When at home, slip into loose fitting clothing that does not come in contact with your vulva. Remember, your vulva and vagina are naturally clean and do not need "special care."

The Challenges of Menstruation

Lets face it, life was much easier, in some ways, for women when we wandered the African plains and did not have to worry about getting our body fluids, including menses, on our surroundings. Back then, menses just exited the body and fell to the ground, dried on the body and was brushed away, or was washed away. No pads or tampons to worry about or social taboos to make life difficult. Since that is how we spent the majority of our evolutionary existence that is how our bodies are designed to function, and functions best. The problem is not menstruation; it is how women are forced to treat their body by society. Society expects women to control their body in a way that meets society's wishes, which is not to say it is a way that is necessary or beneficial to women, and as a result society.

As mentioned above, commercially produced pads and tampons are recent inventions. Prior to that women had to make do with homemade absorbent pads, and in some cases tampons, made from natural fibers, if an absorbent material was used or even required. I recall reading about an elderly man in a tribal society being observed scrapping dried menses from an animal skin mat a woman had slept on the night before so the use of absorbent materials have not always been a social necessity. Women in one society contracted their pelvic muscles preventing menses from exiting the vagina until they were alone. Today, women have many options available to them if they are willing to give them a try.

The first commercially produced tampons and pads were made of natural cotton. Today, we have super high-tech pads and tampons that are highly absorbent and can be worn for longer periods of time. Problem is, menses is made up of proteins and water, something harmful organisms can feed on and reproduce in when kept warm. A woman will likely become aware of a strong odor if she does not change her pad or tampons at an appropriate interval. She may even find herself dealing with frequent infection and irritation. The problem is not the menstrual fluid; it is with keeping it in or near the warm body for too long.

The idea I present on the page about Menstruation and Sex is the use of "menstrual towels" to absorb the flow when a woman is sleeping or resting at home. At work, school, and in public women have little choice but to use pads, tampons, or menstrual cups because you do not or cannot get menses on the things you come in contact with. Your employer or teacher are also unlikely to allow you to sit bare bottomed on an absorbent towel. The young woman who created the All About My Vagina website mentions going without protection, free bleeding, when at home and out in public if her flow is light. She allows her underwear to absorb her menses, and sleeps in the nude. These options exist for all women.

Tampons

From a health perspective tampons are not the best thing to use. They are a perhaps a necessity, but their limitations should be noted. They are comfortable to wear because you cannot feel them inside your body, because the inner vagina is relatively insensitive to touch. Pads are in contact with your sensitive vulva so you are obviously more aware of them. Tampons absorb all the moisture they come in contact with, not just menses, so they can dry out your vagina, interfering with your natural protection. Removing a tampon that has dried out your vagina can abrade and irritate the vagina. The applicators are not lubricated and may scratch and irritate your vaginal lining.

Remember, your body is trying to expel the menses and by using a tampon you interfere with that process. There are always good and bad organisms present in your vagina, and trapping blood there interferes with this natural bodily process. Pads do the same, but the menses is at least outside the body when you do so. Women probably change their pads more often because they are more aware of them and can "see" that they are menstruating. Women should change tampons on a regular basis, every four hours; the same for pads. At night, sleep nude on a menstrual towel or wear a pad. Is possible, only use a tampon while engaged in a sport or while exercising, if pads bother you during these and other activities. I know tampon manufactures are advising women they can wear tampons for up to eight hours, but that is not wise, or what is recommended for prevention of Toxic Shock Syndrome TSS. Tampon manufacturers simply want women to buy more of their product.

Sexual Activity

What are the health risks associated with sex, alone and with a partner? During masturbation women probably have little to worry about other than some possible frictional irritation caused by occasional over indulgence. This can be avoided by using a good sexual lubricant and perhaps latex or vinyl gloves. You should make sure your hands and sex toys are clean and your fingernails are free of rough edges, but other than that there is no health risks associated with the activity. You cannot give yourself a disease. Harmful organisms do not form out of thin air; you have to get them from someone else. If anything, masturbation is beneficial in that it gets blood flowing to the genitals and exercises all the sexual organs. It is a good way to relieve sexual and physical tension and relax.

Partnered sex is a little more risky, but not risky in of itself. While your body may be free of harmful organisms your partner's may not be, regardless of whether they are male or female. If you have only one sexual partner throughout your life and they have only you, the risks are probably pretty small. Each time you have sexual contact with a new partner, the risk increases. The risk increases exponentially since every one of their partners also becomes your sexual partner. You can acquire from your sexual partner any organisms they acquired from their past or current partners and vise versa. It is also important to keep in mind that teens, virgins with sexual partners, and girls and women with one sexual partner still get STD's. STD's do not discriminate based on sexual orientation, age, or sexual experience, or even inexperience.

There are STD's that exist today that can literally kill you, just as was the case before antibiotics were developed. This is why it is important for couples to use barriers to prevent not only pregnancy but also the exchange of body fluids. We frequently hear about condom use but couples also need to use barriers to prevent a woman's body fluids from coming in contact with her partner. During cunnilingus a woman should cover her vulva with a dental dam or plastic wrap so her fluids do not enter her partner's mouth. When you use your hands to stimulate the genitals of your partner, use latex or vinyl gloves to prevent their body fluids from entering your body through small cuts in your hands. The use of gloves often makes this form of stimulation even more enjoyable for your partner. Safe sex is everyone's responsibility.

While there are women who do have multiple partners without contacting a sexually transmitted disease many are not so lucky. Sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) are very common, just not openly talked about. Unfortunately, admitting to having an STD has come to be seen as an indication of a personal flaw or defect even though getting an STD is really no different than getting a common cold. If you and your partner have multiple, more than one, past or present partners, you and your partner(s) need to be tested for infection, perhaps even before you become sexual partners. While most women may believe they will never get a STD, they fail to realize many of the women around them already have!

One way to limit the chances of contracting STD's is to limit the number of sexual partners you have during your lifetime. This is in part why I recommend teens wait to become sexually active with a partner on the pages about virginity. This is because the younger a person is when they become sexually active the more sexual partners they are likely to have during their lifetime. Relationships that develop during puberty are more likely to be short term, and as a result more numerous.

When your sex drive is surging a lot of people are going to be sexually attractive to you that might not otherwise be. Teens, as well as adults, may have partner sex for the wrong reasons. Even if all your relationships last five years, by the time you are thirty you will have had nine sexual partners if you start engaging in partner sex at fifteen, taking into account your partner's past sexual partners. That number increases to almost fifty if your sexual relationships last only two years on average. While teenagers having sex is not bad in of itself, we should acknowledge the risks associated with it. In a perfect world there would be no reasons why teens should not have sex with a partner, but we do not live in a perfect world. It should be noted that these risks factors do not apply to all teens, many if not most are very selective or reluctant to engage in partner sex. Just because a teen is "sexually active" does not mean they are promiscuous.

Daughters

Your preadolescent daughter does not have increased levels of estrogen that stimulate and toughen her genital tissues and natural cleaning process. This results in her being more susceptible to irritation and infection. To add to this, we start abusing her vulva as soon as medical personnel or ourselves put that first diaper on her, minutes after birth. How many infants have you seen wearing diapers in documentaries about tribal societies? Diapers, like tampons and sanitary napkins, are another way society tries to force our bodies to conform to its expectations.

We have come to see diaper rash as normal, but it isn't. This is perhaps why the fusing of the inner labia occurs most commonly between the ages of one and two years of age. Ever wonder why some young girls resist wearing clothing that comes in contact with their vulva? Just as with adult women, a preadolescent girl's vulva should be exposed to the open air.

We usually cannot allow infants to run around naked prior to being toilet trained, for obvious reasons, but we can allow our young children to lie undressed on absorbent cotton towels placed over waterproof mattresses and pads, for several hour each day, while they sleep or nap, to allow air to circulate freely around their genitals. We can wrap their nude body in a towel, while we breast or bottle-feed them. It may not be as convenient as disposable diapers with plastic linings, but does treat their genitals in a healthier and more respectful way.

When the diapers come off for good, encourage them sleep nude or while only wearing a simple nightshirt, and when possible, like when at home, go bare bottomed. You do not want them wearing panties all day every day. When they do learn to wear underwear at all times, they usually learn to hide their genitals in the process. Her genitals become off-limits to everyone, including herself. An added benefit of them sleeping nude is, it allows them easy access to their vulva in the privacy of their bedroom, and provides an opportunity to explore their body and masturbation. If it is warm outside, allow them to play naked in the yard, or while wearing just a dress. When they get home from school, encourage them to put on loose fitting clothing. Try to have a home where family nudity is accepted and comfortable for all. Do not be embarrassed by your child's nudity, or allow other's embarrassment over their nudity embarrass you. Is anyone going to be harmed by seeing your child's genitals?

Proper care of your daughter's vulva starts at birth. When you are counting fingers and toe, examine her vulva. For several months following birth her vulvar structures will appear swollen, as a result of being exposed to the increased maternal hormone levels. Examine her and make a mental note of things like the size and shape of her clitoris and labia, does she have a hymen and is there an opening in it, is her clitoral hood adherent to her clitoral glans, and are her inner labia fused together. If you are not sure what is what, ask your doctor or nurse for guidance. You will need to know if labial and clitoral adhesions were present at birth or develop later; the hood is most likely naturally adherent to the clitoral glans, but the labia should not be fused together. You want to make sure there is an opening in her hymen so when menstruation starts, the menses is not trapped inside her body, causing pain. It is important to have a baseline so you will know if things have changed when you care for her vulva in the future.

It is a good idea to start talking to your daughter about her vulva soon after birth. This is because you will likely feel uncomfortable doing so in the beginning. If she is an infant it will be easier than when she is older and understands what you are saying, or trying to say. Tell her you are about to rinse her vulva, clitoris, and spread her labia to rinse between. Use the correct names like "clitoris" and "vulva," not "vagina" or "pookie." This is so you BOTH get comfortable using these words, and it will not be uncomfortable later in life. The longer you wait to start talking about her vulva, the harder it will be. If you wait until puberty, that is simply too late and the barrier to communication will be more difficult to overcome.

Your daughter will learn more by example than by what she is told. If you really want your daughter to be comfortable with her body and care for it correctly, her mother or female role model must set a good example. A girl should bath with her mother from infancy on. She needs to be able to see how her mother cares for her vulva, and that her mother is comfortable with her body. If a daughter does not bath with her mother, she may learn to hide her body, and possibly feel ashamed of her female genitals. Fathers can also teach their daughters to be comfortable with their body by bathing with them. Even though they do not have the same anatomy, they can demonstrate good genital hygiene. It also allows girls to become familiar with the male body, and are as a result more comfortable with it, when they seek out sexual partners in the future. Parents and children should engage in mutual bathing versus the parent putting their own body off limits to their child. If you bathe them, they bathe you, if and when they are physically capable, willing, and express an interest in doing so. When they become curious about their parent's body, they will explore it at whatever pace is comfortable to them. If you put your body off limits, they will do the same.

During the school years it can be more challenging to raise a girl who is comfortable with her body, as her peers, and the increased numbers of adults she comes in contact with, will influence how she feels about herself and her actions. If she senses other girls do not go about their home nude, or bathe with their parents, she may not want too. If she senses other girls hide their body, she may do the same. If she is the trendsetter by going bare bottomed under her dress or skirt when at school, her parents may hear about it from the school. If she is comfortable with her body, she may be willing to show it to others and allow them to explore it. These are not bad things, but our society often believes they are. We live in a society that has a distorted view of sex since it is anti-sexual. A girl being comfortable with her body is not overtly sexual, but that is how adult society usually views it. Things like this make raising a sexually and physically healthy child a challenge.

There are an increasing number of families in which the father is the primary care giver. This requires men to be just as aware of "feminine hygiene" as women. Having a penis is no longer an excuse for not knowing. Fathers need to know how to care for their daughter's vulva just as much as her mother. Fathers are increasingly the ones who buy their daughter her tampons or pads. They may even have to explain how to use them. They also have to be able to explain about female body fluids, natural vaginal fluids, and indications of infection. Especially in young girls, they may have to examine their daughter's vulva if she reports an injury or possible infection, to see if medical attention is necessary. Fathers need to know what they are looking at just as well as mothers. A girl will usually hide her body from her father only if his actions make her feel she should. If his body is off limits, so will hers.

Why Cleaning is Bad

Here is what one woman had to say about her experiences with personal hygiene on the Yahoo Group 3/27/02:

"I can understand your confusion regarding this subject. It wasn't until a month ago when I discovered this website that I understood just how delicate our parts "down there" are. Like many women, I was taught from a very young age that our nether-regions are unclean and was told to scrub them thoroughly with soap and water every day. The result? Since puberty until recently I have dealt with the consequences of this myth -- terrible feminine itching that couldn't be relieved by any creams, prescribed or over the counter; smelly discharges that neither douches or doctor-recommended vaginal inserts could resolve; and raw, red rashes on my inner labia that stung and burned, especially when I urinated.

"After being checked for STD's and other infections, my doctor could only tell me that maybe I shouldn't use any harsh soaps, fabric softeners or bleach on my underwear as she thought my symptoms were a reaction to these things (which can also make your female parts miserable). However, I was never asked nor advised about any changes in my bathing habits.

"After I discovered the website and learned to only use your fingers and lukewarm water to gently cleanse the area, I decided to try it for a week. I have not had any problems since!! All my symptoms have disappeared. My only regret now is spending all that money on douches and creams when I really didn't need them!!

"Of course, check with your doctor if you have any symptoms that could indicate a vaginal infection or STD (itching, burning, strange/smelly discharges, etc.) and follow their prescribed treatment. But if your doctor doesn't find anything wrong, this could be your solution.

"I hope my experience will be helpful to you and others with this question and I am eternally grateful to the Clitoris website for their openness and information."