Keeping clean is something we all obviously stride to do, but could it increase the chances of infections?
Health on Female First
Washing our intimate areas with soaps and shower gels puts us at a higher risk of developing a Sexually Transmitted Infection, experts have warned.
Soaps and lubricants can damage sensitive tissues and raise the chances of becoming infected with herpes, chlamydia and HIV, according to the researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Study leader Joelle Brown said there is ‘mounting evidence’ that using these products internally can increase the risk of bacterial vaginosis – a condition that occurs when the bacterial balance becomes disrupted - and sexually transmitted infections.
Researchers suggested the increased risk for these common infections might result from the products upsetting internal pH and beneficial microbe communities, allowing harmful organisms to proliferate.
Normally, the area is home to a finely tuned system of good and bad bacteria, which produce acids that protect against infections and viruses.
Doctors do not recommend that women wash themselves internally because it can alter the balance of these bacteria and does not seem to offer any benefit.