Vagina Musings: When I heard about what people are doing to the external female reproductive organ – Vagina, I am like somebody wake me up from this funny dream. Then was my mouth filled with ‘’ha’’, and my tongue with chai, then said they among the heathen, Na so we dey do am. Na so we dey do am, we no kill persin!

I have heard about people pouring detergents, salt water, potash, alum into their vaginal to make it clean. I learnt some people even go further to flex the vagina, by pouring warm coke, 7up and even ‘’Motina’’. See flexing o! No wonder they say pade mi ni sale. Faaji dey o! Ha Auntie, biko, please stop it! What you are doing down there is called Douching and it’s not fair to that organ.

I know some of us will say, ehn, I want that place is clean and odour free. The vaginal flora is the bacteria in the vagina. This keeps the vagina healthy and prevents infection. A woman’s vagina is ‘self-cleaning’. No need using detergents. About the odor, you don’t expect that place to smell like jollof rice. It’s normal to have a certain odour.

Douching can remove good bacteria from the vagina and put you at a risk of getting infection. These bacteria you are trying to remove there, are normal flora that helps to maintain the pH of that place. When you take them off, other harmful bacteria will come and settle there and cause those vagina infections that you call ‘’toilet diseases ‘’. If you douch when you have an infection, you complicate the problem.

Douching is not a valid form of contraception, oh ye ‘’Krestians’’. If you like drink Crest, drink 7up, and use the remaining one to pour libation to the gods down there. Yinmu, Cele tan e, o tan Candle! Not even all these 21st century sperms, before you say Baby, them don swim reach your cervical canal!

Moreover, douching cause irritation of the vagina and that comes in form of itching.

Keeping the vagina clean is simple. The easiest way is by washing with water when bathing or showering. No need of soap or scrubbing. No be tiles na.

While a natural vaginal odor and some vaginal discharge are both perfectly healthy, it is essential to be aware of the signs and symptoms of a more serious problem like strong vagina odour lasting for few days. Seek a medical advice on that.

#NurseOnDuty