A new study, conducted in the University of California at Los Angeles, proved that women’s use of soap and usual shower gels for intravaginal intimate hygiene increases the risk of infection with sexually transmitted diseases.
Using Lubricants Is a Risk for Women’s Health
In the course of scientific experiments, it was proved that soap, as well as lubricants, harms the sensitive tissues of sexual organs, increasing the risk of infection with herpes, chlamydia, and HIV.
The Intimate Hygiene Study
Members of Dr. Brown’s team interviewed 141 women in Los Angeles about the use of cosmetic products for personal hygiene. They conducted laboratory tests for vaginal infections in the respondents. It was found that 66% of the women had been using lubricants and intravaginal cleaning agents.
The Use of Lubricants
Plain lubricants that can be found in every drugstore proved to be the most widely used products. They were used by 70% of women, while 17% used Vaseline (petroleum jelly), and 13% used various oils.
Why Women Shouldn’t Use Vaseline Intravaginal
Test results showed that the women, who used the products internally despite their not being designed for such use (for example, petroleum jelly and oil), were more likely to be infected with candidiasis and bacterial infections. For example, 40% of the women, using Vaseline as a lubricant, suffered from bacterial vaginosis. This figure can be compared with only 18% of the women prone to this disease in the group of those who did not use vaseline.
44% of the women, who admitted using moisturizing oils, were carriers of the Candida fungus that causes candidiasis. In the group of the women, who did not use oils, only 5% happened to be carriers of the fungus.
Intravaginal Soap Use Changes the pH & Harms Woman’s Health
The researchers also suggested that the risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases should be enhanced by the use of cosmetic products that damage the natural pH level and acidity (soap and shower gel), which is a favorable factor for the development of pathogens. Doctors recommend that women should not use any cleaning products for vaginal hygiene because they violate the natural bacterial balance and do not make a woman feel any better.
