Principles of Genital Hygiene

Genital hygiene is one of modifiable factors for urinary tract infection and reproductive tract disease. It depends on how one behaves on taking care of self genital hygiene by doing self care and routinely doing medical examination. It is so personal that every one is responsible for his or her benefit. Genital hygiene includes cleanliness, genital skin acidity, odor, dryness and moist of genital and the surrounding area. These are to support the natural body defense mechanism which is the existence of beneficial bacteria (normal floras) that prevents the growth and accumulation of potential pathogens (infectious microorganisms). Since genital is part of urinary tract in human and part of reproductive tract in man and pathogens can spread, person with poor genital hygiene is prone to genital infection and disease that will lead to urinary tract infection and reproductive tract disease.

To achieve favorable state, one should make effort on keeping good genital hygiene by doing general personal hygiene care, genital hygiene care, and medical check ups on certain condition. General personal hygiene care means paying attention to general body hygiene especially part of body closely related to genital such as hands, anus and area surrounding genital. Genital hygiene care means paying attention to genital (penis and scrotum for man, external part of vagina, labia major and labia minor for woman and pubis for adults). Medical check ups on certain condition means having medical examination from competent doctor considering uncomfortable symptoms of urinary and reproductive tract.

There are also clothing factor that play role in genital hygiene care, especially clothes related to genital. They are underwear, pants, towel, toilet paper, and sanitary napkins. They are used to provide comfort for genital and they should be replaced when no longer clean nor dry. It is also advisable that sharing of personal clothes not be done.

Besides all of those factors, correct knowledge on how to clean genital is also important. Excessive procedures such as frequent use of antiseptic, deodorant, soap, hot water and perfumes can not ensure good genital hygiene. In fact, irritation may occur following the procedures. Direction of washing genital, healthy sexual behavior, hormonal state influencing genital condition, and special treatment for baby and uncircumcised man are things that should come into consideration.
By. James (Dwi Notosusanto)