Catch up with the news!

The vagina is perhaps the most important feature of the entire female reproductive organs.

It serves as many ports: an entrance port to the rest of the reproductive system, as through it other features such as the uterus, the fallopian tubes, the ovaries are accessed.

It also serves as an exit port because it is through the vagina that life is brought forth when a baby is birthed, bringing fulfillment and pride to the woman, joy to the man, and ensuring the continuity of family name and the human race as a whole as directed by the Creator.

The monthly cycle (menstruation) is also expelled and urine, a toxic waste from the body passes through the vagina even though from another channel.

Finally, the vagina also serves as the pleasure port of the female’s sexual desires. All (well, almost all) sexually built-up tensions for both the male and the female are relieved at this port. Some say the pleasures available to both sexes are unimaginable and endless if properly explored.

READ ALSO: 17 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR VAGINA CLEAN AND SMELLING GOOD

The importance of the vagina is undeniable to the woman, the man she permits into her secret place, the society and humanity as a whole. This no doubt explains the amount of care and attention given to the vagina by both the owners and the men who use their services.

Yes! Men too, do show concern and care for the vagina. This is because of our conviction that should anything go wrong with this great port, a whole lot of things would likely be affected.

 Apart from the physical discomfort and pain to the woman, her man also shares in the abrupt disturbance of routine as embargo would have to be placed on the  vagina to allow whatever went wrong, subside.

It can even disrupt the whole process of conception and birthing, if adequate medical attention is not accessed properly and promptly too. Some other grave consequences are likely, causing permanent injury, diseases or even death.

If you or your partner has ever had something seriously wrong down there, you’ll have an idea of what I’m getting at.

From studies conducted by many experts, vaginal itching is the hallmark of yeast infections and other vaginal infections, including sexually transmitted diseases, STDs.

However, there are other causes of vaginal discomfort which include  chemical irritants from detergents or soaps, douches and vaginal creams, toilet paper, bath products, feminine hygiene products, and vaginal contraceptive products.

Women in the menopausal transition may experience vaginal itching due to fluctuations in Estrogen levels. As Estrogen levels decline in the perimenopause, the vaginal wall becomes thinner and drier, and itching may result. Some studies have shown a link between psychological stress and vaginal yeast infections too.

This is likely due to the fact that stress is known to have a negative effect on the immune system and could possibly increase the likelihood of getting a yeast infection.  It is a fact and indeed common knowledge that women are advised not to douche as it can disrupt the PH of the vagina, leading to infections.

But how many of us women adhere to this on a daily basis? Or how many men encourage their women to keep the place only as the good Lord created it? Women who douche, do so for varied reasons ranging from personal to “medical” and not a few of us are guilty too.

Just in case you don’t know, vagina douching is the process of cleaning out the vagina by forcing water or solutions into the cavity to flush out its contents. Douches range from ordinary water to soaps (even native black soap) and manufacturers’ brands spiced with a variety of fragrances, sold over the counter.

More ridiculous are women who douche right after sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases or just to feel clean and fresh down there. Earlier in the year, a friend who recently began a new relationship confided in me that she had to go shopping for several brands of douches to prepare her vagina because she’d not been intimate for almost two years.

Unfortunately, she developed Thrush after washing with one of the products and had to undergo treatment lasting several days.

Whatever the reason might be, douching is geared at improving the sexual act by preserving the vagina for the pleasures of the men who use them and to boost the confidence and sensuality of their owners.

Studies have however confirmed that regular douching may introduce new bacteria into the vagina which can spread up through the cervix, uterus and Fallopian tubes. Douching also increases your chances of vagina infections and contracting STDs and will not prevent pregnancy.

In fact, the American Journal of Public Health published sometime ago, that douching may reduce a woman’s chance of becoming pregnant during a particular month by approximately 30%.

As if all these are not enough. Our insecurities as women cause us to self destruct by abusing our ports with our own hands, besides those inflicted by our men.

The truth is that once a level of commitment and compromises have been staked in a relationship by the woman, it is not a very pleasant feeling to allow the man walk out into oblivion, especially when the decision was not by mutual agreement.

Thereafter, whether the sex is desirable or pleasurable or not, we subject our bodies as a means to holding on to the relationship, often unprotected and unprepared for the consequences.

Hmmm!! Do have a great weekend!!!

Remember to grab a copy of your refreshing Saturday Vanguard for the concluding part of this article.  

Vanguard News Nigeria