Vaginal discharge became the talk of the town a few days ago when the #PantyChallenge started trending on Twitter and Snapchat. If you are clueless about it, consider yourself lucky because it really made no sense. But to give you a gist, the #PantyChallenge stemmed from an ignorant woman’s post, who boasted about clean panties and no vaginal discharge. Soon other women began to put up their panty pictures hinting that vaginal discharge may be a bad thing. But the fact remains that it is not … vaginal discharge is completely normal and there’s nothing unusual about it. We asked experts to tell us the science behind this discharge.
Dr Rekha Thote, gynaecologist, Currae Gynaec, IVF, Birthing Hospital, Mumbai says, “Normally, a woman in her reproductive period (ages 14-45) releases fluids from her vagina before and after her menstruation. During ovulation, which is usually the 13th or14th day after menstruation, the discharge is white mucus and before menstruation, the discharge is watery. Both are completely normal for a woman. However, if a woman experiences excessive discharge or foul smell, then she should visit a gynaecologist”.
Dr Rakhee Sahu, gynaecologist at Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, Mumbai, also elaborates with, “There are two types of discharges. One is normal while the other one is abnormal vaginal discharge. A woman should take note if there is a change in the characteristics of the discharge. If it turns greenish, white or there is blood stain, or if there is a foul smell, they should immediately consult a doctor to rule out infection and do a screening for cervical cancer”.
But some of the things women should keep in mind are:
1. Never use soap to clean the vaginal area. “Soaps contain acidic substances which work well on body parts like hands and legs but not on a sensitive area like the vagina. We need to understand that there is a layer of good bacteria present on the vagina, which prevents outside bacteria to enter. Applying soap will kill the good organisms, which can further lead to vaginal infection,” explains Dr Thote. There are special vaginal cleansers, such as Vwash Plus vaginal liquid, which are available in the market. You can also simply clean the area with clean water or use other medically approved cleansers, which have an alkaline base.
2. “Apart from this, it is important to maintain hygiene practices like cleaning the vagina 3-4 times in a day, changing your underwear twice a day and wearing cotton underwear, which can absorb the discharge,” adds Dr Thote.
3. “Eat lots of probiotic foods like yogurt and include enough Vitamin A and C in your diet to keep all kinds of vaginal infections at bay,” advises Dr Sahu.
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