To not wash the inside of my vagina?

[Secretname123]

First AIBU so please be nice! There is a huge debate going on on twitter where people are horrified that some women wear tampons in the shower (it seems to be the majority of the many women responding to the tweets who are horrified). They claim it’s unsanitary because then you can’t wash inside your vagina. I thought we weren’t supposed to do this? I’m sure I had this drummed into me as a child. I never have and have never had an infection. Have I been doing it wrong all these years?!

@Whatsinthebag2 you hold the shower head and use the downward flow of the shower to wash out blood around the labia. Use your hand to scoop any near the entrance.

Oh right yes, sorry I thought you were one of the posters saying to use the shower head to spray directly into the vagina, and for that I figure you'd point the shower head more upwards.

It hurts to think about what some people must think is necessary to be clean down there. Strange how it only applies to that part of the body, too. Never heard about anyone sticking something down their throat or up their behind to give it a good scrubbing. (Though I'm certain there have been cases, because whatever batshit thing you can imagine, someone's tried it at some point in time!)

You have to find the right soap though. I learnt the hard way not to use original source tea tree shower gel 😱

I learnt that same lesson

So what you’re describing there is washing the vulva, all the parts of it. Not the vagina, which is the canal leading to your cervix and uterus. It appeared that you were advocating washing out the vagina in your previous post.

Vaginas (that is, the hole inside your body where you insert a tampon or a penis or a sex toy) do not need washing. It isn't "nonsense" that they are self cleaning. Ask any gynaecologist, sexual health nurse, midwife or any clinician involved in women's healthcare.

Vulvas (all the rest of the pubic area including the labia majora [outer flaps] and labia minora [inner flaps]) DO need cleaning with water and a gentle cleanser.

Period blood smells when it leaves the body. That is why you have to wash all the areas on the outside of your body. It doesn't need to be washed when it's inside your body, just like urine, faeces and sweat don't need to be washed when they're still inside your body.

Your body does an excellent job of expelling the endometrial lining (the period 'blood'). It does not need assistance with a douche or any other method, unless there's something wrong with one's body.

If, after washing one's vulva thoroughly, there is a strong and offensive smell coming from the vagina (the hole) then that's a good indicator that there's an issue such as BV or thrush.

Bottle brush?

Mint is a no-no too.

The only parts that should need a clean are outside. The period blood inside your body does not smell (unless you have left something inside you for too long), but of course you should wash the blood off from around your vulva and public hair and anywhere else it's managed to find itself.
You DO NOT need clean where a tampon sits.

absolutely you are not supposed to wash inside. it disrups the pH and can cause bacterial infection

the vulva etc. should be washed, with just water

however I would not shower with tampon inside. as if any shower water/bodywash tracks inside, it will be absorbed by the tampon and stay there. this is especially problematic if there is any contamination from washing the posterior region.

How in the name of all that's holy can a tampon absorb water from a shower? Even if you were standing on your head, legs akimbo, water wouldn't go into the vag - it's not a bucket!!!????

Now tell us about your oven @BrightYellowDaffodil

I have never washed the inside of the vagina, I wash thoroughly around the vulva and entrance but I don’t put anything at all inside. I have never had BV or any time of infection and I don’t smell down there.

Vaginas are designed to clean themselves.

The string gets wet because it’s located by an area that you do wash

Oh god, using a bottle brush in your vagina could lead to a whole new discussion along the lines of the toilet brush. "AIBU for putting my vagina brush in the dishwasher"

I know right?! I’ve showered, bathed and swam with a tampon in and I’ve never had one absorb water 🤨

"I don't jet wash the fucker" is possibly one of the best things I have ever read on here 🤣

Exactly. If there is one thing this thread has demonstrated, it is that education in the UK needs improving when it comes to the female anatomy.

I tried every kind of wash over the years for my external vajayjay, I was always sore, itchy and stinky within a day! Plus had a lot of external boils/cysts one after the other at one point. Then, 12 years ago, when I was due to have my hip replacement, I had to shower every day in Hibiscrub... It changed my life! I now no longer suffer the ongoing panic of terminal disco fanny, just shower daily paying attention to my outer and inner labia and bingo, bedtime comes and I'm as fresh as the proverbial daisy! So long as it's rinsed off well, it works a treat! And a 5ltr bottle, although not cheap, lasts me over a year, as you don't need much. I negated that to the amount I used to spend on washes/shower gels and it's a winner!
It's the outer labial area that's the problem, just wash that, the inner labia, then the "love tunnel" sorts itself out!
I did go anti tampon/pads in my younger days, I felt I was holding things back with a tampon/hated the unhygienic feel of pads and so decided to go all mooncup... Oh dear no!!! The first time I tried it, I twanged my twat and that was enough for me!!! 🤣🤣🤣

🤣

You use hibiscrub on your vulva?

I kind of sluice it little bit with the soapy bath water but never scrub up in there, if that's even possible..haha. in the shower I don't really bother, just clean the exterior vulva/ groin/ bum. I know they are self cleansing.
I think as many said there is a lot of misogyny around the idea of vaginas and their 'smell/cleanliness'. It like, NO women's bodies do not smell of fish. There is no right or wrong sized labia, etc. It's just sexist BS basically.

I've found a water pistol loaded with soapy water works wonders - you're missing out OP

@MrsSlocombesCat what brand of period pants do you use? I don't find them absorbent enough (10 tampons they do not hold, despite their claims!)