What can I do to keep my vagina healthy?

You can take steps to protect your vaginal health and overall health. Try the following:

• Have safer sex. Use condoms. Or have sex with only one partner who has sex only with you and who has no sexually transmitted infections. If you use sex toys, clean them after every use.
• Get vaccinated. Vaccinations can protect you from HPV, the virus associated with cervical cancer. And you can get a vaccination to protect against hepatitis B. This is a serious liver infection that can spread through sex.
• Do Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises can help tone your pelvic floor muscles if your uterus and vaginal walls have slipped, called prolapse. Kegel exercises also can help with urine leakage or pelvic floor weakness.
• Know your medicines. Talk with your healthcare professional about the medicines you use. Know what side effects they can cause.
• Limit the amount of alcohol you drink, and don't smoke. Alcohol misuse can harm your sex life. Nicotine might affect getting aroused. Substance misuse also might cause poor physical and mental health. Both can affect your sex life.
• Be gentle. Don't wash inside your vagina. And don't use products that can irritate the vagina. These include wipes, douches or harsh soaps. Don't use scented products.

You can't prevent all vaginal issues. But having regular checkups can help make sure that issues of the vagina are diagnosed as soon as possible. It's important to talk openly with your healthcare professional about vaginal health.