Sometimes I feel as though people are a little afraid to say the word "vagina." Say it. "Vagina." It's a pretty word that's been slandered and cursed as a dirty word for who knows what reason. We've neglected to learn about it and some women suffer a great deal having been sheltered from learning about their sexy parts. This is a blog with 6 cool facts about the vagina and how amazing they are, every shape, size, color and style.
#1: Like a Fine Wine
Your vagina is like a fine wine, perfectly (or usually) balanced at a pH less than 4.5. Lactobailli are the "good bacteria" that live in the vagina and help to keep your pH levels normal. They prevent infection-causing bacteria, and keep things genuinely "clean" for inside-our-body standards. When levels of lactobacilli fall, your pH levels can rise above 4.5, which is ideal breeding ground for vaginal infections, such as yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis. Symptoms of these infections are irregular discharge and an unusual vaginal smell.
#2: Don't Clean Too Often
Bouncing off fact number 1, too much cleaning in or around the vagina can wash away a lot of that lactobacilli and cause infections of all kinds. Using unnaturally scented products interfere with the natural balance of vaginal bacteria, which may give rise to the aforementioned infections. In fact, we don't really need to be over concerned with our vaginal cleanliness at all. It cleans itself! One less thing to worry about in the shower.
#3: You Smell What You Eat
For example, there's a widespread myth that consuming pineapple/cranberries/citrus can give your vagina/secretions a sweeter scent/taste. Other foods believed to alter vaginal odor include garlic, onion, and fish, as well as cheese and chillies. While it seems beneficial to smell like flowers and fruit, vaginas don't actually smell that way. Pick up a flavored lube if you're afraid of scaring him off with the Amazonian Goddess scent of your awesome vagina. If you're experiencing a drastic change in odor, that could be grounds for infection, and is worth looking into. We all have our own scent, so it's easy for us vulva owners to tell when something in the air is different.
#4: Vulva or Vagina?
When you say vagina, you're probably referring to the whole collective, hair to hole. While that's an awesome guess and is what most people have been taught, it's actually incorrect. The vagina refers to the specific part of the female reproductive system that runs from the vulva, all the way to the cervix. Vulva is the correct term for the collective part! The Vulva is the pubic bone to the vaginal opening and includes the clitoris, labia majora, the outer lips, and mons pubis (our hair). If you were wondering about size, research has found that vaginal depth can range from 2.7 to 3.1 inches. During sexual arousal, it is estimated that its depth can range from 4.3 to 4.7 inches.
#5: Hymen-Could You Believe This Myth?
Everyone remembers their first time, whether it was good or bad. While virginity is a social construct, there's no physical evidence behind your first time. This age-old belief that a woman's hymen is a good place to look to if you desire to know whether she's engaged in vaginal intercourse is just a big ol' myth. But although much significance is attached to the hymen as a "marker" of virginity in many cultures, the truth is that more often than not, it really can't tell us much about our sexual history. The hymen is actually a membrane that lines the opening of the vagina, and its actual shape and size varies from person to person. It doesn't usually cover the vaginal opening entirely — which makes absolute sense, since otherwise menstrual and other discharge would not be able to leave the vagina.
In fact, some of us are even born without a hymen. In those rare cases wherein the hymen does cover the vaginal opening, a congenital condition called imperforate hymen, surgery is carried out to perforate it and allow vaginal discharge to pass out of the body. While vaginal intercourse or some more strenuous physical activities could cause minor hymen tearing, many women do not experience any tearing or bleeding during sex, as the hymen can stretch to accommodate the penis.
#6: Take Her To The Gym
One of my favorite topics to talk about in this store is kegels and pelvic floor exercise. A lot of women don't understand that your pelvic floor is as important of a muscle as any other, and how much care your pelvic floor needs. Symptoms of a weak pelvic floor can vary but include peeing when coughing, laughing, or sneezing, reduced sensation in the vaginal canal, or a sensation of heaviness in more extreme cases. At first, it seems like a complicated muscle to get to, but you can active your pelvic floor in a number of ways! You can come to a store like Intimates Boutique and ask about kegel sets and kegel exercisers, like the KGoal. There are a lot of variations when it comes to the size, shape and weight of each kegel set. Sets come in 2s, 4s, or 6s, or you can buy weights individually. You can read more here and here to learn about different kegel sets and discover more way to active your pelvic floor.
