Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene

Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene

“It is best to let your vagina clean itself. The vagina
cleans itself naturally by making mucous. The mucous
washes away blood, semen, and vaginal discharge”.1

Umbrella

What may the Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Genital Care/Health/Hygiene
  • Vaginal Care/Health/Hygiene
  • Vulval Care/Health/Hygiene

Self-Cleaning

Is the vagina self-cleaning?

In Douching: What Is the Best Way To Clean My Vagina? the Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov elaborate on:

“It is best to let your vagina clean itself. The vagina cleans itself naturally by making mucous. The mucous washes away blood, semen, and vaginal discharge”.2

Douching

What is douching?

DotS the definition of douching may vary. In Feminine Odor Problems? What Every Woman Needs To Know the (United States) Cleveland Clinic’s definition is:

“The term, douche, which means “to wash” or “to shower” in French, refers to cleansing the vagina using a solution of water mixed with another fluid — often vinegar, baking soda or some sort of perfume”.3

In Douching: What Is Douching? Womenshealth.gov’s definition is:

“The word “douche” means to wash or soak. Douching is washing or cleaning out the inside of the vagina with water or other mixtures of fluids. Most douches are sold in stores as prepackaged mixes of water and vinegar, baking soda, or iodine. The mixtures usually come in a bottle or bag. You squirt the douche upward through a tube or nozzle into your vagina. The water mixture then comes back out through your vagina”.4

Bath/Shower

Is douching different from washing the outside of your vagina during a bath or shower?

In Douching: What Is Douching? Womenshealth.gov’s explain:

“Douching is different from washing the outside of your vagina during a bath or shower. Rinsing the outside of your vagina with warm water will not harm your vagina. But, douching can lead to many different health problems”.5

Why Not

Why should women not douche?

In Douching: Why Should Women Not Douche? the Womenshealth.gov elaborate on:

“Most doctors recommend that women do not douche. Douching can change the necessary balance of vaginal flora (bacteria that live in the vagina) and natural acidity in a healthy vagina.

A healthy vagina has good and harmful bacteria. The balance of bacteria helps maintain an acidic environment. The acidic environment protects the vagina from infections or irritation.

Douching can cause an overgrowth of harmful bacteria. This can lead to a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis. If you already have a vaginal infection, douching can push the bacteria causing the infection up into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. This can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, a serious health problem.

Douching is also linked to other health problems”.6

Keeping Clean

How may women keep their vagina clean?

In Essential Information: Caring for Your Skin Down There – Cleansing the (Australian) Caredownthere elaborate on:

“Just in case you have been wondering if your vulval problem is happening because you aren’t washing enough…. you don’t have a hygiene problem. Using soap, particularly if this is done frequently, will in fact make your skin more sensitive. It is best to avoid soap, particularly perfumed liquid soaps, abrasive washes and wet wipes. A soap substitute, available from your chemist, or simply soaking in a bath with a couple of handfuls of ordinary salt thrown in is the best way to clean vulval skin”.7

Smell

After menopause may vaginal smell change?

In Vulva and Vagina: Are all Vulvas and Vaginas the Same? How Your Vulva Smells [+ Image] the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) elaborate on:

“It’s normal for your vulva and vagina to have a different smell at certain times during your menstrual cycle, and after menopause”.8

Health Care Provider

What if I am worried about what is going on down there?

If you are worried about what is going on down there, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. The JH note:

“If you’re worried about the smell or have other symptoms, see your doctor”.9

In Vagina: What’s Typical, What’s Not – What Are Symptoms of Vaginal Problems? the (United States) Mayo Clinic explain:

“Talk with a member of your health care team if you have:

  • A change in the color, odor or amount of vaginal discharge
  • Changes in vaginal skin color or itching
  • Vaginal bleeding between periods, after sex or after menopause
  • A mass or bulge in the vagina
  • Pain during sex or trouble having sex
  • Problems putting in a tampon”.10

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to the Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene?

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Links

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New or Updated

  1. 3D Mapping of Female Anatomy
  2. 5 Underwear Tips To Avoid Problems Down There
  3. Anatomy of the Vagina
  4. Australian and New Zealand Vulvovaginal Society: Patient Information
  5. Bacterial Vaginosis
  6. Bacterial Vaginosis
  7. Boxers, Briefs and Bacterial Vaginosis: How Your Underwear Can Affect Your Health
  8. Candidiasis
  9. Caredownthere.com.au
  10. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  11. “Doctor, is it normal?” [Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM)
  12. Douching
  13. EMAS On-Demand Webinars [European Menopause and Andropause Society] [Multiply Languages]: Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM): Diagnosis and Evidence-Based Management
  14. Essential Information: Caring for Your Skin Down There
  15. FAQs: Disorders of the Vulva: Common Causes of Vulvar Pain, Burning, and Itching
  16. FAQs: Vulvovaginal Health
  17. FDA Direct: Removing Black Box Warnings for HRT (Part 1/2)
  18. FDA Direct: Removing Black Box Warnings for HRT (Part 2/2)
  19. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  20. Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause
  21. Gynaecological Cancers
  22. How To Talk To Your Doctor About Vulval Changes
  23. How Vaginal Hormones Can Transform the Health of Women
  24. International Society for Sexual Medicine: Public
  25. International Society for Sexual Medicine: Sexual Health Topics
  26. International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease
  27. International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease: Patient Handouts
  28. International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health
  29. International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health: Find A Provider
  30. Lichen Planus
  31. Lichen Planus
  32. Lichen Sclerosus
  33. Lichen Sclerosus
  34. Lichensclerosusguide.org.uk
    Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene
  35. Maintaining Vulvar, Vaginal and Perineal Health: Clinical Considerations
  36. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  37. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Natural Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Safer, or Better
  38. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series: Dyspareunia – Vaginal Atrophy and Beyond [Sign In To Confirm Your Age [06 May 2026]
  39. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2023: Pay Attention on Your Way In! The Vulva Is An Important Organ Too
  40. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2025: The Burn, the Itch, the Pain, the Urge: GSM In Women
  41. Pain Down There? 9 Reasons Your Vagina Hurts
  42. Prosayla Supported by ISSWSH [International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health]
  43. Q&A: Normalize Seeking Proper Bacterial Vaginosis Diagnosis, Treatment
  44. SHE+ Explains: Does the Vagina Clean Itself? (By Parents, for Parents)
  45. SHE+ Explains: Vulva vs Vagina (By Parents, for Parents)
  46. Sheplusfoundation.com [SHE+ Foundation formerly known as The Patty Brisben Foundation]
  47. Safer Sex and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
  48. Sexual Health and Wellbeing and the Menopause: An EMAS Clinical Guide
  49. Surprising Menopause Symptoms Revisited | Dr Louise Newson [Video]
  50. Talk About Painful Sex
  51. The Vulva & Vagina Explained: Sex Ed #2
  52. Tips for Checking Your Vulva: What You Should Be Looking For
    Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene
  53. Treatments for Menopause
  54. Understanding Gyn Cancers
  55. Urogenital Problems
  56. Vagina: What’s Typical, What’s Not
  57. Vaginal Cancer
    Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene
  58. Vaginal Discharge
  59. Vaginal Discharge
  60. Vaginal Discharge
  61. Vaginal Dryness
  62. Vaginal Dryness
  63. Vaginal Pain
  64. Vaginal and Vulval Pain: Know the Different Causes and When To Seek Help
  65. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Vulvar Diseases, Overview for Aging Women
  66. Vulva and Vagina
  67. Vulval Cancer
    Vaginal and Vulval Hygiene
  68. Vulval Irritation and Treatment
  69. Vulval Lumps, Bumps and What To Do
  70. Vulval Self-Checks: Learn How To Get To Know Your Vulva
  71. Vulva and Vagina
  72. Vulva and Vagina [Multiply Languages]
  73. Vulval and Vaginal Conditions
  74. Vulval and Vaginal Pain
  75. Vulvar Awareness Campaign Season 2024 – 2025 [18 September]
  76. Why You Do Not Ever Need To Douche
  77. Why You Get An Itch or Thrush on Vaginal Estrogen and What To Do About It
  78. World GO Day [World Gynecologic Oncology Day, 20 September]Vagina Vulva
  79. Yeast Infection (Vaginal)

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted:

Sources

  1. Douching: What Is the Best Way To Clean My Vagina? Page Last Updated: 27 February 2025. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/douching Accessed: 17 May 2026
  2. Douching: What Is the Best Way To Clean My Vagina? Page Last Updated: 27 February 2025. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/douching Accessed: 17 May 2026
  3. Feminine Odor Problems? What Every Woman Needs To Know. 10 June 2021. Cleveland Clinic https://health.clevelandclinic.org/feminine-odor-problems-what-you-should-know-about-douching/ Accessed: 17 May 2026
  4. Douching: What Is Douching? Page Last Updated: 27 February 2025. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/douching Accessed: 17 May 2026
  5. Douching: What Is Douching? Page Last Updated: 27 February 2025. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/douching Accessed: 17 May 2026
  6. Douching: Why Should Women Not Douche? Page Last Updated: 27 February 2025. Office on Women’s Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth.gov https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/douching Accessed: 17 May 2026
  7. Essential Information: Caring for Your Skin Down There – Cleansing. Caredownthere https://www.caredownthere.com.au/_pages/information_care.html Accessed: 17 May 2026
  8. Vulva and Vagina: Are All Vaginas and Vulvas the Same? How Your Vulva Smells. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/vulva-and-vagina/#whats-normal Accessed: 17 May 2026
  9. Vulva and Vagina: Are All Vaginas and Vulvas the Same? How Your Vulva Smells. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-topics/vulva-and-vagina/#whats-normal Accessed: 17 May 2026
  10. Vagina: What’s Typical, What’s Not – What Are Signs or Symptoms of Vaginal Problems? 30 January 2025. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/womens-health/in-depth/vagina/art-20046562 Accessed: 17 May 2026
Topic Last Updated: 23 May 2026 – Topic Last Reviewed: 17 May 2026

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