Knowing how to conduct a vaginal self-exam is an essential part of proactive health maintenance. Vaginal self-exams are used to check for signs of infection or abnormality within the vaginal area and to assess the overall health of the genitals. However, some individuals may find the idea of performing a vaginal self-examination daunting or uncomfortable. Let’s start with what it is!
What Is A Vaginal Self-Exam?
A vaginal self-exam is exactly what it sounds like. Examining your vagina(and vulva) by yourself. It is used for detecting changes or abnormalities that could be an indication of disease or infection. By becoming familiar with the normal appearance, feel, and smell of your genitals, you can become more attuned to any changes in your body that may be a signal of underlying health problems.
Why Should You Regularly Perform A Vaginal Self-exam?
It is essential to perform a vaginal self-exam regularly to keep oneself informed and alert about any health issues that may arise in the vaginal area. A vaginal self-exam can help detect various conditions related to the vulva or vagina, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia, yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and even cervical cancer. Early detection of such conditions can save one from severe consequences and make treatment more effective. By conducting a regular vaginal self-exam, individuals can also become familiar with their body and their menstrual cycles, which can help them detect early warning signs of gynaecological issues.
How To Perform A Vaginal Self-exam?
I know the thought of examining your vagina may be scary for some and that is okay but vaginal self-exams can be conducted quite easily. We’ll tell you how you can do one safely and comfortably.
Here are the steps to do it:
- Start by washing your hands thoroughly and finding a private and quiet space where no one can disturb you.
- Then, begin to undress from the waist down and take a comfortable position, either squatting or lying down.
- Place a mirror somewhere between your legs or across from you. Just make sure you can see your vulva very well. Gently spread open your labia using your fingers to examine the vulva for any unusual bumps, lumps, or sores.
- Next, if you’re comfortable, insert one finger into your vagina and feel for any lumps, bumps, or tenderness.
- During the examination, it is crucial to take note of any unusual smells, discharge colour, and texture.
- After the examination, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly and clean the examination area.
- Record any significant observations or unusual findings and speak to your healthcare provider should you identify anomalies that cause concern.
Vaginal self-exams are an essential aspect of women’s health and offer the advantage of saving one from severe consequences of underlying health issues. Conducting regular vaginal self-exams can help detect various vaginal issues at early stages and can move you to seek medical attention promptly. If individuals become more aware of their bodies through regular self-exams, they can be part of the proactive healthcare regime that can help diagnose life-threatening conditions at early stages such as cervical cancer. Thus, it is crucial to take vaginal self-exams regularly, maintain gynaecological health, and understand that it is natural to feel uncomfortable at first, but with practice, you can become more comfortable with it.
Editor’s Note: Don’t forget, it is more than okay if you’re not comfortable touching yourself too much. Stick to the outerparts of your vulva, if you must. Just make sure you see a gynaecologist regularly for pelvic exams. Just to make sure everything checks out down there.