Finally, we’re bringing you very public answers to some of your most private questions. When sexual and vaginal health concerns arise, OB/GYN and nationally known women’s health expert Dr. Jessica Shepherd wants to ensure you have the answers you need to feel at ease. As the founder of Her Viewpoint, an online women’s health forum, she uses this outlet to focus on addressing taboo topics in a comfortable setting.
Q: Are there certain vacation activities that aren’t necessarily vagina friendly?
A: When traveling, especially to beachy and sunny locations, using sunscreen–which is so important for Black women, since some of us think we can’t get sunburned–those heavier creams can sometimes be irritating, so just make sure you’re using them properly.
In the sandy areas, yes they are very exotic and having sex on the beach is a nice idea but some sand can get trapped in the vagina. That could cause bacterial vaginosis or possibly a yeast infection or just cause irritation, if you don’t know it’s there and it’s not washed out completely.
Another thing too is some people think they that just because they don’t necessarily do a lot of swimming, they can behave certain ways and that they don’t necessarily change or keep their vagina dry over a long period of time. Keeping your swimsuit on for a long time can sometimes predispose women to other yeast infections because of the moistness. The duration of time that you’ve had those clothes on can keep the moist in and yeast likes to grow in moist environments.
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