Bacterial Vaginosis or BV is characterized by a unique and offensive vaginal odor commonly described as “fishy” or “sour”. The smell is often worse at the end of your menses and right after sex with a man, if no condom is used. The smell can be embarrassingly strong, and the condition can be annoyingly recurrent for some women.
BV is not an infection, rather it is an imbalance of normal vaginal flora –I love that we refer to the vaginal ecology as flora.
It is one of those things just not talked about—caring for your vagina. We get messages from the media and folks selling product, we need to sanitize ourselves. We should “freshen” with a douche or “organic wash” or “odor blocker”. The truth is, the more product you put in your vagina, the more likely you will get an imbalance in your natural flora. This is the healthy bacteria which we need for vaginal health. This imbalance can lead to vaginitis –an inflammation of the vagina. This can be mildly uncomfortable or can lead to yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis—stay tuned for posts on these.
So you now know what not to do. So what DO you do?