Make a date with your vagina. Use a mirror to get familiar with what it looks like, so you can better identify any sudden changes that merit a doctor visit.
If you’re insecure about anything having to do with your vagina, chances are you don’t feel like you can work through those feelings with many people in your life.
Although some friendships and relationships come with the freedom to discuss all things vagina-related, unfortunately, many don’t—and sometimes it can feel strange even bringing up your concerns with your gynecologist. Even though that’s precisely what your doctor is there for: to either reassure you that things are fine or come up with a treatment plan if they’re not.
Your vagina is one of the most natural and healthy body organs known to man. However, many are the girls and women who do not know this as a fact. In fact, they may not even know if vaginal discharge and the natural smell it produces are normal or just a condition that they have never had the courage to discuss with their doctors.
If you are asking what we are discussing till now – well, we are about to expound on those things that you fear talking about to your doctor, mom or dear friends.
In fact, your vagina talks to you.
Yes, this may seem absurd, but it does! It may not literally talk to you by using words, but it can give out signs and symptoms which may indicate that you are fertile, you have an infection or any other disease, and many more. It is trying to tell you plenty of things, so just be ready to listen all the time.
It is about time you distinguished between the fallacies told about the vagina and know the truth about it. Here are some of the very important facts that your vagina has to say to you about some topics that, unfortunately, still are often a kind of “taboo“ even in the society of the 21st century.
# 1 Stop getting me confused with everything else down there
The number-one mistake women make in the ob-gyn office: they call everything the vagina. I’m always shocked at how women are so confused about their anatomy. People are all-encompassing about the word “vagina“. They think that means everything down there, but the truth is, each part is different.
When it comes to the female reproductive system, things can get complicated fast. Yes, the vagina – a term often used when people really mean the vulva – can be delicate and complex (and also, by the way, tough as hell).
Technically speaking, vagina refers to the muscular, elastic canal which leads to the cervix and uterus. This is the “hole“ where the penis or fingers are (usually) inserted and through which babies pass during birth.
Here is the breakdown: your vagina is the inner muscular tube that connects the cervix of the uterus to the vulva. The vulva is everything that you see on the outside, including the labia majora and labia minora (outer and inner “lips”), the clitoris (the sensitive pleasure center at the top tip of your labia), and the urethra (where you urinate).
Grab the nearest mirror and examine your vagina. To do a vaginal self-examination, you can also use a small flashlight. Wash your hands and sit on the floor, couch, or bed. Support your back with pillows and inspect yourself.
Surprised! Well, no need. What you are seeing is the external side of your vagina. Just keep in mind that it is an essential body organ and half of the people on the planet, own one. Therefore, accept it and move on.<p/
# 2 Some people have “long” labia or labia that seem uneven
Worries about labia minora are one of the most common concerns gynecologists encounter. The labia minora are the smaller, “inner” lips of the vulva, or the collection of parts making up the external female genitalia.
Doctors blame all this on the fact that women started waxing and using other hair-removal methods, explaining that people with vaginas can get “all discombobulated” when they realize their labia don’t quite look the same as other people’s.
Erotic and similar movies also come into play with “vagina insecurity.” But actually, you can equate it with your ears and breasts—no two of anything on your body are ever the exact same, just like no two snowflakes are the same, experts note.
Labia minora are typically between one and two inches long. Some people have labia minora smaller or bigger than that, which is also normal. One of your lips may be longer and appear wrinkly in nature; there is no need for alarm.
The only sign that your labia may actually be too long is if they stick out of underwear and bathing suits, cause swelling and pain when biking, swimming, running, or otherwise being active, or even get dragged into the vagina during sex. When the labia become disruptive and painful, that’s when medics talk about surgically fixing them.
This situation is pretty rare. Even doctors who have been doing gynecology for 40 years—they’ve seen a lot of vulvas in their life, and they don’t think they’ve seen anybody they would recommend labia surgery for.
Also, your vulva doesn’t have to be the same color as the rest of you—and certain parts of your vulva, like your labia, might even be different colors than other parts. It’s all normal and fine, experts say—although sudden redness or inflammation can point to some sort of irritation or infection, in which case you should see your doctor.
# 3 I might get random lumps and bumps that are actually OK
Don’t automatically freak out if you get a bump down below. Various glands, like sweat glands and Bartholin's glands, are located around your vagina, and sometimes they can get blocked, causing cysts that may or may not be painful.
There are also other benign causes like razor burn, which you can get on the labia majora if you shave there, and ingrown hairs, which can crop up in the folds between your legs and vaginal area and on the mons pubis, that mound of skin above the clitoris.
They come and they go, and it’s not unusual, gynecologists say. The vagina is so similar to the face in that you can get ”acne”, but it tends to go away and is nothing to worry about. Of course, some kind of genital bumps are a sign of conditions like herpes or HPV—here is more information on how to spot the difference. If the bumps hurt, appear in clusters, blister, or are worrying you for any other reason, see your doctor.
# 4 I don’t have to smell like a bed of roses
Repeat after us: vaginas are supposed to smell like vaginas, not like you’re traipsing through an English garden. Your personal scent is individual, but as long as it’s not reminiscent of anything rotting, fishy, or otherwise foul (all potential signs of something like bacterial vaginosis or an STD), you’re good.
The female vagina has natural smells associated with it. The natural scent depending on the time of the month can vary from musky to metallic, especially if it is that time of the month. However, the smell of your lady bits can indicate unhealthy nature of your vagina.
Most of the time, things tend to be much more normal than abnormal, gynecologists say. Remember, in ”Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy”, their motto is ”don’t panic”, and that’s our mantra, too.
If irritated by your vaginal smell, do not wash or use scented items to clean such as soaps or gels, this even more dangerous. The vagina structure cleans itself out, and all you need is plain warm water and no soap when washing it.
Failure to do so can result in excessive itchiness, irritation and vaginal infections that can be prevented by avoiding such things as scented soaps, panty liners and even menstrual towels, pads or tampons.
Gynecologists recommend against douching or using products designed to make your vagina smell different—they can be irritating and throw off the pH of your vagina, potentially leading to infection. If you think something’s up down there, you’d better see your doctor for advice.
# 5 You might want or need a lubricant during sex
Thanks to a series of incredibly cool biological mechanisms, your vagina will typically make its own natural lubrication when you’re turned on.
But sometimes you need a little help, whether because you’re not as lubricated as you like, because you’re about to have a quickie and really do not have the time for your vagina to get with the program, because your vagina is undergoing age-related changes that can induce dryness, or because you just like really slippery sex. In any case, go for the lube without shame.
More than 65 % of women have used a lubricant to make sex more pleasurable or comfortable, according to an Indiana University study.
Related research has found women rate their lovemaking as substantially more enjoyable when using it compared to sex without lube.
Though menopause is generally blamed for vaginal dryness, many other factors may affect it, including stress, jet lag, alcohol, birth control pills, and, yes, extended lovemaking.
To avoid any irritation, if you have a sensitive vagina, you might want to avoid some of the lube ingredients in the interest of keeping your privates as happy as possible.
If using lubrication, check its base. A water-based lubricant, like K-Y Jelly, is a good choice for enhancing pleasure and for use with condoms. Oil-based lubricants, like edible coconut oil, may be preferred for oral sex but aren’t condom-friendly (they increase the risk of condom breaks).
For a long-lasting lubricant, try one with a silicone base. If you’re prone to infection, make sure it doesn’t contain glycerin, which has sugars that can cause yeast in the vagina to multiply.
As you can see, the vagina is sensitive as it is thorough in its functionality. Therefore, it is important to know what is normal and what is not in order to safeguard your health as an individual and as a girl, lady or woman.
Make a date with your vagina. Use a mirror to get familiar with what it looks like, so you can better identify any sudden changes that merit a doctor visit.
