08/06/2025

ON SUNDAY JUNE 8, 2025 II theSunday Special

The truth is, the vagina is self cleaning. Using harsh soaps or douches can upset the natural balance of bacteria and lead to infections.”

Sharifah

protects against infections. Over-cleaning can disrupt that balance, leading to ir ritation or infections. Unfortunately, that often makes women feel like they need to clean even more, creating a frustrating F\FOH ´ H[SODLQHG $LQL Pay attention to your body According to Aini, the skin of the vulva and vagina is much more delicate than other areas of the body like the forearm or underarm. ³ It’s more sensitive to friction, the products we apply and more likely to react WR KDUVK LQJUHGLHQWV ´ VKH VDLG So if a hygiene product causes itching, burning or discomfort, that’s your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. 7KHVH DUH UHG ÀDJV \RX VKRXOGQ¶W LJQRUH ³ I always encourage women to get to know their bodies. Vaginal discharge, for example, naturally changes in colour, texture and amount throughout the men strual cycle and that’s completely normal. %XW LI VRPHWKLQJ IHHOV R̆ RU GL̆ HUHQW IURP your usual pattern, it could be a sign of DQ LQIHFWLRQ DQG VKRXOG EH FKHFNHG RXW ´ Aini added. No such thing as ‘home remedies’ As a practising obstetrician and gynaecolo gist and a Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the United Kingdom, Aini has seen many women fall for natural home remedies promoted online, something she strongly advises against. With the rise of pills, jamu and bertan gas (a traditional practice popular among Malay women involving herbal vaginal steaming, often done after childbirth or for general feminine care) there’s growing concern over the risks. These methods DUH RIWHQ PDUNHWHG DV ZD\V WR ³WLJKWHQ ´ ³FOHDQVH´ RU PDNH WKH YDJLQD KHDOWKLHU but the dangers are real. ³ Practices like jamu and bertangas KDYH QR VFLHQWL¿F EDFNLQJ WR VXSSRUW WKHLU EHQH¿WV IRU YDJLQDO KHDOWK ,Q IDFW WKH\ can irritate the skin, disrupt the vaginal microbiome and in the case of steaming, HYHQ FDXVH EXUQV ´ VDLG 1DMZD She also emphasised the importance RI SD\LQJ DWWHQWLRQ WR \RXU ERG\ ³,I \RX notice any changes, especially discomfort or persistent symptoms, don’t delay. See a gynaecologist. We’re here to help and there are safer, proven treatments DYDLODEOH ´

Malaysian ob-gyn break down harmful vaginal health myths and the danger of social media advice Clearing the air on feminine hygiene BY AQILAH NAJWA JAMALUDDIN

Here’s what every girl and woman needs to know. Stop relying on everything you see online. What you do need is clear, honest information and a space to talk about these things without shame. Avoid feminine care wash ³ One of the biggest myths is that the vagina needs to be cleaned with special soaps or feminine washes. The truth is, the vagina is self-cleaning. Using harsh soaps or douches can upset the natural balance of bacteria and lead to infections like bacte ULDO YDJLQRVLV RU \HDVW LQIHFWLRQV ´ VDLG 'U Sharifah Najwa, consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist at Kensington Hospital, Johor. With over 12 years of experience in women’s health, Najwa shared that many women still believe a feminine wash is necessary for hygiene. ³ Warm water is usually enough. If someone prefers to use a cleanser, it should be gentle, ph-balanced, fragrance IUHH DQG RQO\ XVHG H[WHUQDOO\ ´ VKH DGYLVHG ' r Aini Hanan, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the voice behind the educa tional Instagram account @ovarily_ambi tious, agrees that many women struggle with feeling ‘unclean’ in that area. But that feeling, she said, is entirely normal and doesn’t mean you need to scrub or soap aggressively. ³ Normal vaginal discharge and healthy resident bacteria (especially Lactobacil lus ) help maintain an acidic pH that

F ROM Google searches to girl-group chats, the discourse around feminine hygiene has al ways been a mixed bag of myths, half-truths and whispered ta ERRV 2QH TXLFN *RRJOH VHDUFK \RX¶OO ¿QG GL̆ HUHQW DQVZHUV RQ ZKDW¶V ³ULJKW ´ ZKDW¶V ³ZURQJ´ DQG ZKDW \RX VKRXOG EH GRLQJ In Malaysia, the conversation around vaginal care is still tangled in cultural discomfort. Many of us grew up with teachers and parents who avoided the topic or talked around it instead of giving clear, honest answers. Because of that, so many women are still unsure how to care for their vaginal health or don’t take it seriously enough. Sharifah, consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist of Kensington Hospital, Johor

Aini, obstetrician and gynaecologist of the Ministry of Health Malaysia

But the truth is, vaginal infections are prevalent here. Research shows that recurrent yeast infections are the most ZLGHVSUHDG D̆ HFWLQJ PRUH WKDQ KDOI D million people in Malaysia every year. On top of that, HPV infections are on the rise too, with over 4% of women showing high-risk types between 2019 and 2021. With awareness still low, these numbers are likely to continue growing. To make things worse, social media is packed with products claiming to ³FOHDQVH ´ ³WLJKWHQ´ RU ³UHIUHVK´ \RXU private parts like jamu drinks, pills or herbal washes. Most of these are marketed with fear rather than facts. More often than not, they do more harm than good.