Is there anything in the world more mysterious than the vagina? We’ve unfairly labeled it as taboo, and because of that, it has become foreign to even us women. Luckily for everyone, OB-GYN Montgomery County Dr. Rania Ibrahim is here to dispel some common vagina myths.
1. Dr. knows best. Dr. Ibrahim has patients telling her that they think they have some rare disease because their vaginal discharge smells worse than usual. A lot of misconceptions about vaginas and vaginal discharge stem from the Internet. Do not fear your OB-GYN Montgomery County – she knows best!
2. You can avoid a yeast infection. An UTI occurs when the bacteria that should have been expelled through urinating remains in your body. If you hold in your pee, you’re also holding in the bacteria, which irritates your bladder. To prevent an UTI, you should pee before and after sex, pee at once when you feel like it, and always pat dry.
3. Kegel exercises rejuvenate your vagina. If you feel that you aren’t as “tight” as before, your OB-GYN Montgomery County recommends Kegel exercises. Just pretend you’re holding something between your thighs and hold each Kegel for 10 counts, 10 times, three times per a day. Doing these exercises help you control your pee, and possibly make your orgasms better.
4. Feminine wash is not necessary. Some feminine washes claim to “maintain the vaginal PH,” which is impossible because we apply the wash on the external vulva and not the internal vagina, which means it’s impossible for it to affect the pH levels of our vaginas in any way. You just have to wash it with soap and water.
5. You can skip a Pap smear for two to three years. The Pap smear is the screening test for cervical cancer, and most women think that they have to have one every year. But if you get two consecutive results that tell you that you aren’t a carrier of the human papillomavirus, then you probably won’t be for the next two years. However, if you have more than one sexual partner, have a partner who has a lot of partners, or are a smoker, you should probably get an annual Pap smear.
6. Removing your public hair is bad for you. Having your pubic region be as smooth as a baby’s butt might look and feel good, but it comes with a pretty ugly trade off: Infections. According to your OB-GYN Montgomery County, the pubic hair is there for a purpose – to act as the last line of defense against infections and bad microorganisms.
7. No matter how much sex you have, your vagina does NOT loosen. Your vagina returns to its pre-penetration size after sexual intercourse, so your vagina and your vaginal canal are not any less tight than they would be if you never stretched them out. Your vagina can only feel loose or “sag” during menopause, when your vagina no longer gets hormonal stimulation.