Genital hygiene
Your genitals are your outer sexual organs, your penis or vulva and vagina.
Whilst it is important to keep your genitals clean, the genital areas, including the skin around them, are very delicate so it’s important to know how best to keep your genital area clean and healthy.
You should wash your genitals with warm water each day, but avoid perfumed soaps and gels as these may cause irritation and dryness.
Regular genital hygiene is also a good way to keep a check on your genitals and get medical advice if you notice anything unusual.
Perfumed soaps and shower gels can irritate the skin and they can also affect the healthy balance of bacteria and pH levels inside the vagina.
Never wash inside the vagina.
This includes ‘douching’ or flushing water up into it.
Douching runs the risk of washing away the good, healthy bacteria and can increase the chance of getting infections such as thrush or bacterial vaginosis.
Over washing and douching can also lead to soreness, dryness and irritation.
It is normal for a vagina to have a musky scent, but if you are worried about a different smell or discharge you should visit your local GP or sexual health clinic.
Although it may be fashionable to not have pubic hair, pubic hair is there for a reason.
It protects your genitals from irritants and the use of hair removal products can cause irritation and localised infections.
Maintaining good hygiene and care of your penis can help reduce the chance of skin irritation and some common infections.
It is best to use just warm water or gentle soap and to clean underneath your foreskin. It’s important not to scrub as this is a sensitive area and to gently pat dry.
Regular washing of your penis and testicles is a great opportunity to check for any lumps, swellings or sore areas and then seek medical advice for anything you notice that is unusual.
Shaving your genital area can cause damage to the delicate skin and may cause irritation or localised infections. It can also leave you more prone to outbreaks of genital warts.
Keeping regular genital hygiene is a great way of knowing your body and spotting anything unusual, such as smelly discharge or lumps.
If you are sexually active, it is recommended to take an STI test once a year – even if you have no symptoms.
There are lots of options for STI testing, including at-home tests that you can order online through your Personal Health Record.
Using a condom can reduce your risk of catching sexually transmitted infections during vaginal, oral and anal sex.
If you’re aged under 25, you can access free condoms through the Doink condom scheme.
