5 Things Your Gynecologist Wants You To Stop Doing ASAP (2024)

If you've got a vagin*, you've probably dealt with your fair share of weird itches, bumps, and sore spots. For all the many reasons why having a vagin* is great (we've got a sexual system that includes a whole organ dedicated solely to sexual pleasure and the potential to have multiple org*sms, which is a pretty sweet deal!), having so much external genitalia and perhaps getting some foreign visitors (penises, fingers, tampons, and more) means people with vagin*s often wind up with random, strange, and sometimes seriously debilitating pain down there because of the exposure to outside bacteria and irritants.

The road to a happier, healthier vagin* (and, consequently, a better sex life) starts with our own habits and health practices. We talked to two board-certified obstetrician/gynecologists—Dr. Lakeisha Richardson and Dr. Mary Jane Minkin—about the top things they wish their patients would stop doing that will promote better vagin*l health:

1. Stop putting up with dry sex.

Women are conditioned to put up with a lot of bad sex, and even those who are aroused and want sex can have trouble getting their body to respond the way they might want. But for a person with a vagin*, not having enough lubricant during penetrative intercourse can cause tears or soreness from the friction.

"I see a lot of women with complaints of bleeding or pain from vagin*l dryness," Dr. Richardson says. "I think it is a lack of education of when it is appropriate to use lubrication. For example, even if a [person] doesn't need lubrication in the beginning, vagin*l dryness can occur with prolonged intercourse, and vagin*l lubrication may need to be applied several times through the sexual encounter to prevent vagin*l dryness. Even with arousal, the vagin* sometimes cannot keep up the production of vagin*l lubrication needed for an extended sexual encounter."

Lube is a vagin*'s best friend. If you don't naturally get very wet—or your wetness tends to wear off mid-romp, keep some water-based lubricant by your bedside to use during all sexual encounters. It's nothing to be shy or embarrassed about—this is about protecting your vagin* from wounds and enhancing your own pleasure.

Dr. Richardson adds that people who deal with vagin*l dryness that's unrelated to sex (it could be hormone fluctuations or your menstrual cycle, for example) can consider using a vagin*l moisturizer like Replens every three days for longer-lasting moisture. "vagin*l moisturizers that are pH balanced, nonhormonal, and unscented do not cause vagin*l irritation or infection," she says, though you'll need to avoid any products with excess chemicals or scents, which can cause irritation themselves. Talk to your physician to make sure you're selecting a good product and using it appropriately.

2. Stop trying to make your vagin* smell like a flower.

vagin*s aren't supposed to smell sweet, flowery, or otherwise artificially fragranced; they're just supposed to smell like vagin*s, which are naturally acidic and just smell like normal body fluids. Both OB/GYNs stress that you should avoid any product attempting to clean, freshen, or give them specific scents.

"I would be so happy this year if my patients would throw away their vagin*l douche and never use them again," Dr. Richardson says. "Douching destroys the vagin*l pH and can increase the risk of PID 1if an infection is present."

"One hears and reads about things like 'steaming your vagin*' or applying masks to the vulva—both of those could be very dangerous and have no clinical benefits whatsoever," Dr. Minkin says. "The vagin* does not need to 'sterilized'—there are good bacteria that live in the vagin*—and you don't want to kill them. And if you have bacteria that are dangerous, there are specific antibiotics that should be prescribed to treat them. And in steaming the vagin*, you could induce a serious burn. Similarly, the most sensitive tissue in the body is the vulvovagin*l tissue—so why would you want to apply a potentially toxic mask to the most sensitive tissue in the body?"

On that note, Dr. Minkin also discourages people with vagin*s from any kind of strongly scented soaps or anything with deodorants, which can also irritate that very sensitive vulvovagin*l tissue. "Many of the strong soaps have a very high (basic) pH," she explains. "Although many women get nervous when they hear this, you actually want the vagin* to have an acidic pH (acid in the vagin* is good—contrary to too much acid in the stomach, for example)."

3. Stop relying on treatment only when it comes to vagin*l infections. Get proactive!

It's easy to stay on the defensive and only seek out treatment in reaction to an itch or irritation, but that's how many people with vagin*s end up having to get treated over and over for the same infections. Instead, consider going the preventive route, Dr. Richardson recommends.

"A vagin*l probiotic [can] help maintain the natural balance of yeast, bacteria, and lactobacilli," she says. "There's one brand that delivers two strains of lactobacilli that are naturally occurring in the vagin*l ecosystem—RepHresh Pro-B. It's an easy way to help promote vagin*l health and is especially helpful for [people] who experience recurrent imbalance or infections."

4. Stop thinking that using birth control alone counts as safe sex.

Not all birth control methods protect you from sexually transmitted infections. The pill and IUD are excellent, very effective contraceptives, but they will not prevent the majority of STIs. That means it's extremely important to stick with condoms, even if you're on some kind of hormonal birth control, and especially if you're not in an exclusive relationship.

"I think that women's greatest fear of unprotected sex is an unplanned pregnancy," Dr. Richardson explains. "Everyone has this 'It can't happen to me!' attitude when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases. I think women simply forget that hormonal birth control does not protect against STIs."

5. Stop being shy about your sex life with your OB-GYN.

"People are always shy to talk about any sexual issues with their physicians," Dr. Richardson says. "I wish patients would definitely be more open about any health problems that they are having. I see too many women who suffer in silence. ... Even issues such as domestic abuse or date rape can be discussed with a physician. I think it's important for patients to know that their visits are strictly confidential and that physicians aren't asking questions to be nosy or to judge. We are trained to ask certain questions to screen patients to see if they need intervention. For example, if a woman has been date raped, she may not want to report the incident, but she still needs to be tested and treated for STIs. She may also want to start prophylactic therapy to prevent HIV. These are interventions physicians can't offer if they don't know that the patient needs them."

Even if you haven't been through any kind of trauma, just talking through your sexual lifestyle with your OB/GYN with total honesty and transparency can allow them to make sure they're giving you any possible treatment, interventions, or recommendations you might need.

Dr. Minkin emphasizes that having a lot of questions is a good thing and nothing to feel awkward about: "There is very little that an experienced gynecologist or nurse practitioner or midwife hasn't heard, so don't be embarrassed," she says. "I always encourage women to establish a good rapport with their gynecological care provider."

Your gynecologist is there to give you care and support, and your office visits are intended to be totally safe spaces. Find a gyno you trust and can be open with, and make them your personal sexual confidante.