Everything You Need to Know About Vaginal Health
Vaginal health is such an important part of your health and wellbeing as it can affect your sexual health and have an impact on your fertility. Ongoing vaginal health issues can also cause stress or relationship problems and affect your self-confidence.
In this article, we will discuss what a healthy vagina looks like, common signs of vaginal problems and how to improve vaginal health.
What does a healthy vagina look like?
The vagina is a closed muscular canal that connects the cervix (neck of the womb) to the external genitalia (vulva). It plays a role in sex, periods, pregnancy and childbirth.
The vagina is self-cleaning, as it is host to a variety of bacteria and fungi that keep it healthy and infection free. An imbalance of the bacteria or an overgrowth of fungus can lead to infection.
Typically, we don’t really notice when we have a healthy vagina as everything looks and feels as it normally does. It’s only when we start experiencing certain painful or discomforting symptoms that we start paying proper attention to our vaginal health.
5 signs of vaginal health issues
Some of the most common signs of vaginal problems include:
1. Unusual discharge
It is normal to have a vaginal discharge, typically starting before your first period and then stopping at the time you go through the menopause.
In a healthy vagina, the discharge will be clear or white and it should have a neutral or mild smell. The consistency can change throughout your menstrual cycle, ranging from watery and sticky to gooey and thick.
If you experience any changes in colour or smell, there may signs of a vaginal infection that could impact vaginal health, the most common changes include:
Yellow or green discharge.
Thick and white discharge (similar to cottage cheese).
The discharge develops a smell.
The discharge causes pelvic pain or bleeding.
Your vaginal discharge will change naturally during your menstrual cycle and also throughout your life, regardless of vaginal health, such as during pregnancy.
As you get older and approach the menopause you will produce less discharge which can then lead to vaginal dryness.
2. Vaginitis
An infection or change in the normal balance of vaginal yeast and bacteria can cause inflammation of the vagina. As well as symptoms of vaginal discharge and odour, there will also be pain and itching. Common types of vaginitis include bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections such as thrush.
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) does not always have any symptoms. It can produce a 'fishy' odour although it does not typically cause pain or irritation. It can also increase your risk of developing a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Thrush is a common type of yeast infection and has been associated with a sweet, 'beer-like' smell. It can cause a white vaginal discharge, as well as itching and irritation and pain during sex.
If you do notice an unusual discharge or a strong or unpleasant smell, be sure to book an appointment with your GP to check there’s nothing that might be affecting your vaginal health.
3. Pain during sexual intercourse
The technical name for this is dyspareunia, a persistent or recurrent pain during or after sex -which is a common sign of vaginal health issues.
Vaginismus: Pain during penetration may be caused by involuntary spasms of the muscles of the vaginal wall. This can lead to chronic pain, as well as pain during or after sex.
Infection: Any infection in the genital or urinary tract will likely cause pain during sex.
Not enough lubrication: When the body’s oestrogen levels drop, most commonly due to the menopause, the vaginal skin becomes thinner, less elastic and also dry.
Pain during sex can be caused by other conditions, such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, as well as scarring from pelvic surgery and certain cancer treatments.
4. Sexually transmitted infections
Sexually transmitted infections can affect the vagina, such as chlamydia, trichomoniasis, gonorrhoea, genital warts, syphilis and genital herpes. That’s why it’s important to always practice safe sex to maintain your vaginal health.
If you think you may have a sexually transmitted infection, you must book an appointment with your primary care clinician or visit a sexual health clinic.
5. Abnormal vaginal bleeding
Abnormal vaginal bleeding can happen at any time from the lining of the womb or the outer surface of the cervix at the top of the vagina. It can be related to your period or be caused by something else, such as:
Post-coital bleeding: This occurs immediately after sexual intercourse.
Intermenstrual bleeding: Bleeding between periods.
Post-menopausal bleeding: Bleeding that occurs any time from a year after the last period during the menopause.
There are many causes of abnormal bleeding, and they include:
Fibroids or uterine or cervical polyps.
Inflammation of the uterus or cervix.
Cervical ectropion (sometimes called cervical erosion).
Changes in hormone levels leading to vaginal dryness.
IUD (a coil) / birth control such as the pill / HRT.
Ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, other pregnancy complications.
Blood thinning medication.
Gynaecological cancer.
Regardless of the potential cause of your vaginal health issues, it’s important to get a check-up as soon as possible. This gives you an opportunity to discuss your symptoms with your primary care clinician, either putting your mind at rest or arranging the appropriate treatment.
How to improve vaginal health
While it might not be possible to avoid vaginal health issues entirely throughout your life, there are steps you can take to improve your vaginal health and reduce your overall risk.
1. Eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly
One of the simplest and best ways to improve vaginal health is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, typically by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
Eating a healthy balanced diet, as well as reducing alcohol intake and giving up smoking, can improve your overall health, helping to fight off bacterial infections. Furthermore, there are specific foods that can directly help with symptoms of vaginal health, such as probiotics for bacterial vaginosis (BV).
Together with improving your diet, regular exercise is a great way to stay fit and healthy, which can ultimately lead to a healthy vagina. Pelvic floor exercises can help tone and strengthen your pelvic floor muscles that support your pelvic organs, including your vaginal health.
2. Keep on top of vaginal hygiene
Although general hygiene is important to stay fit and healthy, you should not wash the inside of your vagina because the vagina is self-cleaning. Using hygiene products including soaps, gels, and even water alone can upset the natural balance of vaginal bacteria.
Instead wash the vulva, the external genitalia, with warm water. You need to be careful using soap or gel as the skin is easily irritated. Spread the labia apart and gently wash the folds using your hands, being careful not to get water or soap inside your vagina.
3. Practice safe sex
Many vaginal health issues can be caused by sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, genital herpes, and pubic lice.
As such, you can improve your vaginal health by always using a condom during sex, protecting your vagina from potential infections. It is also good practice to always urinate after sex as this helps flush any germs from your urinary tract, reducing the risk of a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Just to be safe, it is also recommended to take a regular STI test, as well as after a new sexual partner, even if you aren’t showing any symptoms.
How can Benenden Health help with vaginal health?
If you’re experiencing any uncomfortable symptoms or are generally worried about vaginal health issues, we’d always recommend speaking to your GP. However, if you’re a Benenden Health member, you can also call our 24/7 GP Helpline for medical advice from a qualified UK-based GP, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Benenden Health provides affordable healthcare services for everyone, giving you access to services such as our 24/7 GP Helpline and Mental Health Helpline straight away. Once you’ve been a member for six months you can request access to diagnostic consultations and tests.
If you want to find out more about you and your body, such as what happens to your breasts as you age, head over to our women’s health hub.
Medically reviewed in July 2024.
