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: How Often Should Women Buy New Underwear?
A: It depends on what type of underwear that you’re wearing. For women who are wearing synthetic materials in their underwear such as polyester and satin and those types of materials, you may need to change those out a little bit more because one of the disadvantages of wearing that type of undergarment is that they’re not naturally breathing because they’re not natural fabrics. So they may have to change that a little bit more than they would with natural, like cotton.
Cotton is a natural occurring fabric. It’s breathable so allows the vagina to breathe. Some of those other ones are trapping sweat and bodily fluids which increases the possibility of vaginal infections because they’re not allowing the vagina to breathe.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter for the latest in hair, beauty, style and celebrity news.
As far as changing it out–that’s going to be a personal preference–if women go through their underwear, thosse who have a very large variety of underwear may not have to change theirs as much as women who don’t because they’re not wearing it as often. Women who have tears or if they find that they have synthetic types of undergarments, they should change those out more regularly than ones who use cotton and breathable fabrics.
There’s no hard stop in when you have to change your underwear but I think every woman, just like they do a wardrobe change or a wardrobe makeover, should also consider doing that for their undergarments as well. What I find that happens is women tend to have their favorites and they wear their favorites much more than some of the other ones. Sometimes we need to make that step and actually throw some of them out and buy some new ones as well. It goes to investing towards your pelvic health. So maybe your pelvic fashion, if you want to call it that, and changing out your underwear more often than we think.
Have a question for Dr. Shepherd? Email us now.