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The vagina is an important part ofa woman's body –if we pay so
muchattention to our face, hands and feet, why shouldn't we do the
same for the vagina?
AS an obstetrician and gynaecologist, it saddens me that many
Malaysian women take such little notice of their vaginal health.
In fact, very few women are familiar with the conditions of their
vagina, or even feel comfortable talkingabout it. This could be
largely due to our cultural taboos regarding sex and sexual health.
Women should not let such outdated thinking hinder them from being
aware of their vaginal health. The vagina is an important part of a
woman's body – if we pay so much attention to our face, hands and
feet, why shouldn'twe do the same for the vagina?
The first step towards good vaginal health is knowing what is normal
for your vagina and what is not. In this article, you can learn
aboutthe signs and symptoms of common vaginal problems, as well aswhat
you can do to keep it healthy.
Getting to know your vagina
The vagina is the passageway that links your external female genitals
to your womb. It is actually a narrow muscular canal thatextends from
the vulva (the outside of the genital area)to the cervix (the neck of
the uterus).
The vagina has several sexual reproductive functions. It receives the
penis during sexual intercourse, and serves as the birth canal through
which the baby passes through during childbirth.
It is also the passageway through which menstrual blood flows from the
uterus out of the body.
The vagina is made out of muscle, with a soft, flexible lining on the
walls to provide lubrication and sensation.
When something is not right with the vagina – whether due to
infection, growths or weak pelvic floor muscles – it can affect your
overall health and well-being.
Without a doubt, vaginal problems will primarily affect your
fertility, desirefor sex and ability to reach orgasm. But if these
problems persist without being treated, they can also have a negative
impact on other areas of yourlife, such as your relationship, daily
well-being and self-confidence.
You should be aware of certain characteristics of your vagina, such as
its discharge (colour, smell and amount), bleeding (your flow during
menstruation), and sensations (whether there is itching, irritation,
swelling or pain during sex). When problems occur, these
characteristics will most likely appear different from theirnormal
state.
Factors affectingvaginal health
Considering that the vagina is a part of the body that we pay so
little attention to, there are surprisingly a lot of factors that can
affect the state of the vaginaand increase the risk of problems.
Sexual practices are, of course, the most obvious factors. Unprotected
sex could cause sexually transmitted infections, which produces
symptoms in the vagina. Injuries to the pelvic area, brought on by an
accident or sexual abuse, can cause trauma to the vagina.
A lot of the daily products and medications that women use can also
affect their vagina. For instance, prolongeduse of antibiotics upsets
the balance between good and bad bacteria in the vagina, increasing
the risk of a vaginalyeast infection. Certain antihistamines can cause
dryness of the vagina, which makes intercourse painful.
Women used to get toxic shock syndrome from using super-absorbent
tampons(especially if they left them in the vagina for too long),
although this is less common now. Even certain birth control devices,
like a diaphragm or contraceptive sponge, could pose a risk of toxic
shocksyndrome due to the possibility of bacteria entering the system.
Using spermicide or a vaginal ring for contraception can also cause
irritationto the vagina.
Pregnancy and childbirth will cause obvious changes tothe vagina.
During pregnancy, the amount of discharge from the vagina will
increase,even though there is no menstrual bleeding.
Then, during childbirth, there will most likely be tearing of the
vagina. Some women may need an episiotomy (a small cut made in the
tissue betweenthe vaginal openingand the anus) during delivery, which
has a long recovery period.
Childbirth, menopause and increasing age cause the muscles of the
vagina to become weaker and less "elastic" – as we will see later,
this can lead to some serious problems.
The vagina plays a central role in ensuring a woman'spleasure during
sex. Unfortunately,certain factors can reduce the lubrication in the
vagina, causing painful sex. Hormones are one of the factors –
oestrogen levels reduce after childbirth, during breastfeeding and
after menopause, which causes the lining of the vaginalwall to become
thinner, making sexpainful.
Common vaginal problems
On top of the list ofcommon vaginal problems are sexually transmitted
infections, which include genital warts, syphilis and genital herpes.