Vaginal discharge serves an important housekeeping function in the female reproductive system. Fluid made by glands inside the vagina and cervix carries away dead cells and bacteria. This keeps the vagina clean and helps prevent infection.
Most of the time, vaginal discharge is perfectly normal. The amount can vary, as can odor and color (which can range from clear to a milky white-ish), depending on the time in your menstrual cycle. For example, there will be more discharge when you’re ovulating, breastfeeding, or sexually aroused. It may smell different when you’re pregnant or you’ve been letting your personal hygiene slide.
None of those changes is cause for alarm. However, if the color, smell, or consistency seems quite different than usual, especially if you also have vaginal itching or burning, you could be dealing with an infection or other condition.
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A Family Health Nurse Practitioner Nkasiobi Violet Uluocha, MSN, APRN, BS, FNP-BC has listed out a few methods which ladies can use to maintain a healthy vagina and live a vaginal infection-free life.
In her words:
Healthy vaginas don’t have smell and the discharges are completely healthy and normal.
You can keep your vagina healthy by:
- Avoid scented pads or toilet paper, creams, bubble baths, feminine sprays, and douches.
- Use water and plain, unscented soap to regularly clean your external genital area — but don’t wash more than once a day.
- Always wipe from front to back after having a bowel movement.
- Wear cotton panties (no synthetic fabrics), and change your underwear every day.
Vaginas are not supposed to smell like roses and they are not supposed to smell like rotten fishes. It is very important to take care of the vagina.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK