The vagina is designed to keep itself clean with the help of natural secretions (discharge). Find out how to help your vagina keep clean and healthy – and why you don’t need douches or vaginal wipes.
The vagina is a tube of muscle inside a woman’s body that runs from the cervix (the opening of the womb) to the vaginal opening. The external sex organs, which are called the Arrow, surround the vaginal opening. Looking after your everyday health can help keep your vagina in good shape, says Dr Suzy Elneil, consultant in urogynaecology at University College Hospital, London, and spokesperson for Wellbeing of Women. “Generally, good vaginal health is maintained by making sure you’re in good general health,” she explains. “This includes healthy diet and exercise. Normal exercise helps maintain good vaginal function, as walking and running helps the pelvic floor to tone up and helps ensure good general health.”
Find out more about having a healthy diet, exercise and keeping fit, and pelvic floor exercises.
Vaginal secretions or discharge
Other than your period as part of your natural menstrual cycle, it’s normal to produce clear or white secretions (discharge) from your vagina. This mucus is produced naturally from the neck of the womb, known as the cervix.