Women’s Health
IHOTSSUE
Distress about body image is way out of proportion, with no part of the body spared. Many women today are more concerned with how their vagina looks than how to take care of it. The latest ‘trend’ in female cosmetic
surgery is aptly coined ‘the designer vagina’. In the UK the National Health Service reportedly pays for 2,000 genital cosmetic operations a year, with greatly higher numbers in the private sector. There are growing fears that the trend is now heading Africa’s way. Beware women of Africa, writes Dr Sithambiso Dube who tells it as it is on this hot issue.
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Your health
ven with startling reports about what they are doing, or want done to themselves in a quest for the vaginal nir- vana, most women still find
talking openly about their vagina uncom- fortable. But the bottom line is that the vagina is a vital organ in every woman’s body and like any other part is prone to develop problems. From early child- hood we are taught that we are not to talk about our private parts in public, even act like they don’t exist. Pretending it is not there makes treating any condition that may arise very difficult because it leads to delay in seeking medical help and issues may progress to late stages. Even discus- sions with your doctor about it may be stifled and you may be tempted to leave out particular details, to the expense of the diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Prevention of disease conditions of
the vagina begins with basic hygiene. A number of questions arise about the per-
86 | NEW AFRICAN WOMAN | AUTUMN 2011
sonal hygiene of a woman. Tere is a lot of conflicting advice passed on from woman to woman, leaving many misled and con- fused over aspects from what underwear to wear, to thongs versus Bridget Jones full panty, versus none at all. Should the said underwear be silk or cotton or nylon? What’s the right pH balance? Is it better to wax or to shave? Is douching recommend- ed? And virginity soaps. What exactly are they and how do they work? Tere are a lot of questions surrounding the right hygienic practices… about what can go in under there, and what should never do so. Te general idea is to clean it properly, keep it dry and not ignore anything abnormal.
Clean it properly Tere is more to healthy vaginal hygiene than just wiping from front to back. When you take a bath, don’t just gloss over the vaginal area with the soap and washcloth. Get in the ‘nooks and crannies’ by spread- ing the vulva lips open and wash thor- oughly. It’s important to wash the urethra and clitoral area because they have secre- tions. Wash the outside of the vagina and about a quarter of an inch on the inside. Make sure you wash the rectum with a nice soapy washcloth as well.
Keep it dry
Avoid sitting around in wet swimsuits for hours and change your underwear if it becomes wet. It’s also advisable to wash within 30 minutes of sexual intercourse.
The discharge
Te most common and oſten confusing complaint surrounding the vagina is vagi- nal discharge. Conditions from vaginal candidiasis to chlamydial cervicitis to bac- terial vaginosis to cervical cancer can give rise to vaginal discharge. Many women panic when they notice a discharge but some are not bothered and think it will go away on its own.
Normal vaginal discharge has sev- eral purposes: cleaning and moisten- ing the vagina, and helping to prevent and fight infections. Although it’s nor- mal for the colour, texture, and amount of vaginal fluids to vary throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle, some changes in discharge may indicate a problem. Vagi- nal lesions may be felt by the woman but more commonly these lesions are discov-
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