Vaginas often have minds of their own and they can be quite naughty.
Whether it’s dealing with an out of whack period cycle, psyching out about an itch, or falling for a hottie when your brain is warning you against the said-hottie, vaginas love causing stress.
I’m not saying having a vagina is a bad thing- in fact, it’s great! It makes us powerful. But having lady parts also comes with its share of associated struggles and responsibilities.
So, to help you de-stress and as part of a month-long celebration of Women’s Health Month, this post discusses a couple of issues related to sexual health and will point you to the online pros.
For inspiration and a glimpse into Hollywood’s dramatized perspective of trends amongst our pop culture youth, I watched the second episode of “Girls,” the new HBO series that is something of a revised and much more realistic take on their other very popular sexually provocative show Sex and the City (SATC). The episode, “Vagina Scare,” touches on a lot of issues in sexual health – frequency of periods, the “stuff that gets up on the sides of condoms”, the frequency that girls get tested for STDs, and the likelihood of getting HIV.
Being amongst the audience and age of “Girls” this show is trying to portray, the scary thing is that I didn’t find this episode to be too funny and the reason for that is because it all seems too familiar.
I did laugh out loud at one scene – Hannah, the young, confused, dramatic and promiscuously curious main character, is sitting on her bed in a towel with her legs spread apart and her laptop in between. On the screen is her Google search of “diseases that come from no condom for one second”; the scene comprises of Hannah reading, clicking, and constantly pausing to awkwardly bend forward and visually examine her vagina.
Here are some tips we would have offered Hannah and would like to offer you to make sure you stay healthy:
1) Take a good look…at yourself. Yes. Down there.
One of my favorite SATC episodes is when Charlotte admits she’s never looked at herself…down there. All the girls are shocked and stop eating breakfast when they hear her announcement.
But after this show, I did take a look. Compact mirrors and light are all you need.
It’s a good idea to take a peek. Know what yours looks like – like women, they come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. Exploring is a great way to create a baseline. Then, if something ever changes, you’ll know that something is up and warrants investigation.
It sounds scary, but it’s scarier not knowing if something isn’t normal if you’re checking under stressful circumstances. Plus, the better you know your vagina the better your doctor can keep tabs on it.
2) Do a bit of retrospective analysis.
To keep her healthy, you should be aware of what she’s been doing and how she’s been feeling. Keep a schedule of the days you get your period – there are enormous benefits to knowing the length and frequency of your cycle ranging from avoiding pregnancy scares to knowing you don’t have to stuff tampons in your purse before your date.
Also, make note of her new and old friends. If she’s being social, it’s a good idea to get her checked out more regularly, especially when she is about to make a new friend or is saying goodbye to an old one.
3) ALWAYS wear protection.
If you are sexually active, make sure you take the necessary precautions. Always, always, always insist that your partner wears protection. Condoms can be fun. You can find something that tickles your fancy. Literally.
If you can’t ensure protection, consider oral contraceptives. Although these do not protect against STDs or HIV, they can prevent pregnancies and are generally quite effective. But, they are not a replacement for condoms.
4) Abstinence is your safest bet!
If you’re not sexually active, don’t feel awkward. Remember, this is the best way to stay disease and complication free! Abstinence ensures that you don’t have to make these hard decisions or face the aforementioned risks.
5) Schedule an appointment.
The most important part of keeping your vagina healthy is making sure she’s ok. Go see your gynecologist and have the doctor assure you that you’re fine. It’s a great opportunity to ask those weird questions – is that bump just a bump, why is it itching, etc.
While you’re there, make sure you get tested for STDs.
The two most prevalent STDs, chlamydia and gonorrhea, are many times asymptomatic so without a test, you may unknowingly have it and pass it on. FYI, these are also asymptomatic in men, so if he says he’s ok, you should think about making him prove it.
6) Talk. Ask your girlfriends, sister, mom, doctor, etc.
If you’re worried or you have questions, talk about it. Any living, breathing woman is a perfect candidate to approach. Don’t expect your friends to have all the answers (often, they can be wrong too), but talking about it will normalize the topic.
All women go through similar hassles and personal experience is often a great way of learning lessons you may not want to have to learn yourself!
7) Educate yourself. And your partner(s).
The great thing is that there are SO many websites that have information, pictures, and advice regarding all these STDs. I’ve avoided citing scary stats, but if that is a better motivator than this blog, feel free to find some more – the internet is rife with them, as is the adolescent population of theUnited States.
And talk to your partner about your choices. Taking precautions benefits both of you.
We here at Maxim take women’s health very seriously. It is the reason our company was founded – to offer women products that were in their best interest. Our products are all natural cotton- organic, no toxins, no bleach, etc.
The way we know how to celebrate women best is by protecting their health and educating them so that they can make informed choices.
Here are some websites that offer great information:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/stds-hiv-safer-sex-101.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sexually-transmitted-diseases-stds/DS01123
http://kidshealth.org/teen/infections/stds/std.html
To find a test center, you could use Google, or this handy-dandy website:
http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/findCenter.asp