How To Keep Your Vagina Clean And Healthy

The vagina is designed to  keep itself clean with the help of natural secretions (discharge). Find out how to help your vagina keep clean and healthy and why you don't need douches or vaginal wipes.

The vagina is a tube of muscle inside a woman's body that runs from the cervix (the opening of the womb)  to the vaginal opening. The external sex organs, which are called the vulva, surround the vaginal opening.
Looking after your everyday health can help keep your vagina in good shape, says Dr Suzy Elneil, consultant in urogynaecology at University College Hospital, London, and spokesperson for well-being of women. "Generally, good vaginal health is maintained by making sure you're in good general health,; she explains. "This includes healthy diet and exercise. Normal exercise helps maintain good vaginal function, as walking and running helps the pelvic floor to tone up and helps ensure good general health. "

Vaginal Secretions Or Discharge

It's normal to produce clear or white secretions (discharge)  from your vagina. This mucus is produced naturally from the neck of the womb, known as the cervix.
"Vaginal discharge is not 'always a bad sign', " says Dr Elneil. "There is a myth  that copious clear or white discharge is associated with sexually transmitted infections. Changes in the amount of discharge can be 100% hormonal in other words, linked to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause.

The character and amount of vaginal  discharge varies throughout your menstrual cycle. Around the time that your ovary releases an egg (ovulation),  your discharge usually becomes thicker and stretchy, like raw egg white. The vagina contains more bacteria than any other part of a woman's body, after the bowel.
Healthy discharge doesn't have a strong smell or colour. You may feel an uncomfortable wetness, but you shouldn't have any itching or soreness around your vagina. If there are any changes to your discharge that aren't  normal for you, such as a change in colour or if it starts to smell or itch, see your GP as you might have an infection.