In Tanzania, a new trend has emerged in which teenage girls clean their vaginal areas with lemon and Coca-Cola.
According to The Citizen, Venoranda Rebecca, the founder of Youth Changers Kenya, shared this during a webinar hosted by Youth Agenda last month on Safeguarding Children and Adolescents Against Violence.
Teenage girls believe that cleaning their vaginas with Coca-Cola and lemon after sex will prevent them from becoming pregnant.
While chatting to The Sun, Dr Sarah Jarvis GP and clinical director of Patientaccess.com said: "It’s a terrible idea to wash your vagina out with lemon juice. Lemon juice is highly acidic (the clue is in the name – it’s full of citric acid), which can damage the delicate lining of your vagina."
To avoid putting your vaginal health at risk, below are four tips your vagina needs:
Practise safe sex
Condoms can prevent pregnancy or lower the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Sex toys should also be covered with a condom, according to experts, because they may not be clean at times – leaving you susceptible to infections.
Go for check-ups
A gynaecologist can help you to understand your vagina and also check for possible infections.
Be vigilant about personal-care
Experts say that vaginas are self-cleaning organs – but, you have to maintain proper hygiene around the vaginal area.
Watch what is on your plate
Maintaining a balanced diet is beneficial to both your vaginal and physical health. Experts advise that foods with live cultures, such as yoghurt, have beneficial bacteria that aid vaginal health.