cleaning?

[ferretslim]

my wife heard it is bad to get any water or soap inside, therefore does not get that clean and if to embarrassed to ask. any info and suggestion in detail would be greatly appreciated.

she is also afraid to go so a gynecologist?sorry is that right? (you know a checkup for down there) has never had one how important is this?

[funinthesun]

Welcome to the board. It is extremely important to see the doctor. Please review the stickies, especially New to Sex.

There is a very important chemical balance at work inside of the vagina, and that is why excessive cleaning with the introduction of soaps and perfumes can actually cause infections.

It is very, very dangerous to be remain ignorant of health issues due to personal insecurities and being shy. There is nothing the doctors haven't seen before.

[ferretslim]

so even just rinsing with just water well inside is bad?

[Brandye]

Every woman should thoroughly cleanse her genitals at least twice a day with a touch up after bowel movements. Consider that between the coccyx (tail bone) and mons in the front there are multiple sources of body fluids, all of which become smelly and dirty with exposure to air: clitoral hood lubrication, urine, Skene's glands secretions, vaginal drainage, menstural juices, Glands of Bartholin drainage, fecal matter, perspiration, sloughed off dead skin. All of these support bacterial growth and can be the source of disease. The route along this crack is moist and damp, promoting growth of bacteria and migration of organisms.

This area, then, needs to be washed with gentle soap (baby shampoo is great) and rinsed throughly on a regular basis - twice a day. Douching, or cleansing of the internal organ, the vagina, is NOT recommended except as prescribed by a doctor for specific problems. The vagina is a delicately balanced eco-system in which the various organisms keep themselves in balance of good stuff and bad stuff and prevents disease. Douching can actually make hygiene and smells worse even though women who do it are intending to eliminate these problems.

Regular gyn exams are very important. We recommend that women have an exam before sexual activity, or at age 16, and every year after that.The most serious conditions you can think of are generally very treatable if found with this schedule.