Why “intimate hygiene” is medically harmful —and why external washing does not affect a cervical–vaginal swab

The Medical Misunderstanding That Never Dies

Among all medical misunderstandings, one resists everything:the famous “intimate hygiene”.

A term that seems obvious… until you ask 10 women what it means.Result: 10 different answers. And often… 10 mistakes.

Laboratories mention it.Patients stress before appointments.And gynecologists sigh internally, because this one simple word creates absolute chaos.

The Real Problem: A Term Everyone Misunderstands

In medicine, “intimate hygiene” means something very simple:washing the vulva, so the outside only.

But in real life, many women think it means cleaning inside the vagina.With soapy water, vinegar, baking soda, antiseptics, herbal teas, even lemon juice.All in the name of being “clean”.

This is medically false.And sometimes dangerous.

Essential Reminder: You NEVER Wash the Inside of the Vagina

Never before sex.Never “to smell good.”Never before a medical visit.Never “for hygiene.”Never, period.

The vagina is a self-cleaning organ.Any internal washing disrupts the pH, destroys lactobacilli, destabilizes the flora, and increases the risk of infections and yeast overgrowth.

And What Does This Have to Do With a Vaginal/Cervical Swab (PCV)?

A cervical–vaginal swab is absolutely not affected by normal external washing.Washing the vulva before an appointment is perfectly acceptable.

What does affect the results are internal washings:

• disappearance of lactobacilli

• artificially altered pH

• yeast infections “washed away”

• bacterial vaginosis missed

• trichomonas less visible

• PCR tests sometimes falsely negative if the douche was recent

When laboratories write:“No intimate hygiene before sampling,”they actually mean: no internal washing.

But because the term is vague, everyone interprets it differently.

Clear, Simple Truth

→ External washing = always OK→ Internal washing = never OK→ For a PCV, only internal washing is a problem.

Everything else is a linguistic misunderstanding that harms women’s health.

It’s Time to Be Clear

Let’s stop using vague expressions.Let’s stop the euphemisms.Let’s stop pretending “intimate hygiene” is a mysterious rule.

Here is the only modern, scientific, and honest recommendation:

“Wash the outside if you want to…but NEVER wash the inside of the vagina.”

This isn’t an opinion. It’s medical fact.

Conclusion

Clarifying this notion is not a minor detail — it is essential for protecting women’s intimate health, improving diagnostic accuracy, and preventing avoidable complications.If this information were widely known, many infections, irritations, and false test results would simply disappear.

This is why it matters to repeat it clearly, simply, and without taboo.

Thank you for helping promote better women’s health by reading and sharing this message.

Kind regards,

Dr. Sandra Yene Amougui