VAGINAL HEALTH IN YOUR 20’s

Your 20s are some of your vagina’s best years, mainly due to a peak of the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Estrogen is responsible for keeping your vagina lubricated, elastic, and acidic.Your vagina is surrounded by two sets of skin folds known as the inner labia and outer labia. The outer labia contain a layer of fatty tissue. In your 20s, the outer layer thins and may appear smaller.

Your libido may be on overdrive during your 20s. If you’re sexually active, especially if you have sex frequently, you may experience urinary tract infections (UTI) as bacteria travel from the vagina to the urethra. To help minimize your risk of developing a UTI, urinate as soon as possible after sex to help force bacteria out of your vagina.

Your vagina is self-cleaning. As it cleans itself, it produces a white or clear discharge. Hormonal changes during your menstrual cycle affect the amount of discharge your vagina produces. Unless you’re having symptoms such as pain during sex, itching, a foul-smelling discharge, or burning, your vagina needs little maintenance in your 20s — other than a daily washing of your vulva (the outer parts around the vagina) with mild soap and water.