Women's Health
Your Vagina: 15 Things Every Owner Should Know
Imagine if sex education was updated for the 21st century and the rites of female passage were covered with honesty, accuracy, and a sprinkle of levity á la The Vagina Monologues. One guide might walk you through the basic anatomy of the vagina. Another might address proper hygiene, care, and grooming. A third might tackle your questions about periods and sexual health. Well, you get the idea.
"Some women don't have any idea what's normal and what's not normal," says Jennifer Ashton, MD, ob-gyn and author of The Body Scoop for Girls: A Straight-Talk Guide to a Healthy, Beautiful You. "That generates a lot of anxiety. You just don't know what's going on. So there's a tendency for a lot of young women to think that everything is bad."
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"Realize that your vagina is just another part of you," writes ob-gyn Lissa Rankin, MD in her forthcoming book, What's Up Down There? Questions You'd Only Ask Your Gynecologist If She Was Your Best Friend. "It’s not some disembodied pit that’s separate from you. It is you, just like your heart is you, your lungs are you, and your eyes are you."
Because this type of candid discourse is often missing in sex education classes today, WebMD is pitching in with a no-nonsense guide to your vagina and 15 things every woman needs to know to stay healthy in her V zone.
1. Know your anatomy.
It's shocking how many women don't know their own anatomy, says Rankin. Most can't identify the hymen, perineum, urethra, or cervix. Many don't realize there's a cervix at the end of the vagina. "Women freak out when they lose something in their vagina," she says. "They think the vagina doesn't end, so if they lose a tampon, it will end up in their lung."
Another common misconception, she says, is that women urinate out of the vagina. Although men do urinate out of the penis through the urethra, women urinate out of the urethra – a tube-like structure that is separate from the vagina and leads to the bladder. "Most women are embarrassed to admit that they don't know that information," she says. "They're afraid to ask."
2. Get up close and personal with your vagina.
Use a hand mirror to explore your vagina. It's important to become familiar with all the parts of your body, Ashton says. That way you will be able to tell if something is wrong.
3. You don't need to douche or use feminine hygiene products.
Your vagina is self-cleaning. Use a mild shampoo with your hand, says Ashton. Avoid soap or abrasive washcloths. Don't douche or use feminine hygiene products because that "disrupts the normal vaginal bacterial balance which can be delicate."
WebMD Medical Reference
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