Vital issue of intimate care for women

Abstract

The vulva and vagina are a unique anatomical region, which anatomy and physiology changes throughout a woman's life. The most noticeable changes are hormone-mediated and are associated with the onset of puberty, menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause. The microbiome changes over time due to various factors, such as hormones, which leads to a change in pH. Various hygiene practices and habits also have a huge impact on the microflora of the vulva and vagina, and therefore on a woman’s health. Today, the market offers a huge number of care and hygiene products designed for the genital area of women. But, unfortunately, information about their correct use and safety of use is limited. For example, various health behaviours, such as vaginal douching and pubic hair removal are still widely used, although there is some evidence of their negative impacts on the health of the vulva and vagina. Despite the abundance of specialized intimate hygiene products, the use of general care products that are not intended for the genital area and therefore can cause irritation, itching and other unpleasant effects is reported. Foreign guidelines for intimate female hygiene practices resolve itself to recommendations of daily vulva cleansing with a gentle hypoallergenic liquid wash. There is a need to increase women's awareness about rational choice of feminine hygiene products and disorders of the vulva and vagina to improve their intimate health.