The letter "v" in V-Day stands for valentine, victory and vagina. It’s a global movement designed to promote female sexual health and fight against violence. One common way to celebrate V-Day is to attend a local performance of The Vagina Monologues or a viewing of the documentary Until the Violence Stops.
The best way to take care of your vagina is to truly believe that it is beautiful, natural and something to be celebrated. There are a lot of myths surrounding the true meaning of vaginal health, and here are some of them:
1) Your vagina needs to be disinfected. There are all kinds of products on the market right now that claim to cleanse your nether regions. These include douching kits, vaginal deodorant, and even suppository mints. The truth is that these products can actually throw off the pH balance of the vagina, as well as kill “good” bacteria and other natural immune responses.
2) Your vagina needs to look different. Shaving or trimming your pubic hair is one thing, but some women go so far as to think they need to bleach or dye their vagina - OR even have surgery to alter its appearance. Needless to say, these procedures are highly dangerous, not to mention the fact that the same ingredients in vaginal dyes are also used in septic tank cleansers.
3) Your vagina is too “loose.” Believe it or not, there is a surgical procedure called Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation which purports to tighten the walls of the vagina. You may have seen this “miraculous” surgery featured on hit television shows like Dr. 90210 . It’s not surprising that vaginal rejuvenation is not endorsed by The American Urogynocology Society or the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The real problem with these products and services is not that they simply exist, this is the land of the free, right? The issue is that many of them are being advertised as ways for women to increase their own sexual pleasure, regardless of the fact that they consistently present a risk to an otherwise healthy, functioning female reproductive system. Infection, disfiguration, scarring, you name it, it can happen.
None of these products are medically or scientifically endorsed; in fact, it's the opposite. Instead of convincing women that their vaginas need alteration to be beautiful, product manufacturers should find healthy, vagina-friendly ways to increase women's confidence. A balanced diet and exercise, anyone?