Let’s Talk Vaginas: Your Questions, Answered

Let’s be real—our vaginas are incredible. Every aspect of these amazing organs has a powerful purpose. For example, did you know discharge is the vagina’s way of naturally cleaning itself from dead cells and bacteria? Pubic hair not only helps reduce friction, but it also protects our bodies from infection, releases pheromones, and even regulates our temperature. 

Still, there’s so much we don’t talk about when it comes to down-there care. That’s why we are revisiting this once-taboo topic after our original Vagina Questions article with Dr. Kameelah Phillips published back in May! 

For this round, we talked to two more ob-gyns who love adventure and the outdoors! Anita Schnapp, MD, PhD, is an obstetrician-gynecologist based in Saint Louis, MO, who fell in love with triathlon when her teenage son challenged her to her first race. She’s since completed eight 70.3 triathlons and a full Ironman. After DNF-ing in Ironman Maryland a few weeks ago due to a bike crash that resulted in a broken clavicle, she immediately signed up for next year’s race “I can’t go out like that!” she jokes. 

Jennie Draper, MD, FACOG, obstetrician-gynecologist with Virginia Physicians for Women says she “gets excited about new things and how you can test your body.” After going from never having cycled to completing a full Ironman within a year, she set her sights on mountaineering. In 2022, she completed a trek to Everest Base Camp, and has since summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mount Blanc in France. 

After tackling incredible endurance events, our anonymous community questions were a breeze for these two pros. Read on for their expert insight. 

Discharge and Odor  

Are there safe ways to manage odor that won’t impact my natural balance?

Dr. Schnapp: Your vagina doesn’t smell like your elbow. As far as body odor goes, that’s normal and healthy and when you start doing too much, you can actually throw things out of balance. 

Dr. Draper: If it’s an infection they should seek care, especially if they have other symptoms like itching or burning. But for other odors, it’s the current trend to shave or wax, but our [pubic] hair being there actually helps filter bacteria which can reduce odor. We also recommend cotton or wool underwear—wool is perfect because it helps keep things dry. 

Editor’s note: Our Merino Innerwear is naturally breathable, moisture-wicking, and antimicrobial—both of which help a ton with odor! 

I have big thighs, and sweat a lot between my thighs and vagina. It’s also smelly. The only thing that helps is deodorant but not sure if this is the safest thing to use in such a delicate area?

Dr. Schnapp: Unscented deodorant or BodyGlide between your thighs will help with the chafing and the sweating. You can get cornstarch-based baby powder that's going to help absorb some of the sweat to decrease the odor.

Editor’s note: If sweat is an issue, our Merino Innerwear is amazing at keeping things dry down there—our brand-new SWAG Legging can deliver these benefits for your thighs, too. 

Whenever I pee, I keep seeing little floaters of what looks like ovulation mucus even when I’m not ovulating. What’s going on? 

Dr. Schnapp: Stop looking at your urine! The vagina is making mucus all the time. If you're not having any other symptoms like burning when you urinate, waking up at night to pee, vaginal itching, or excess vaginal discharge, then it's probably just normal mucus. If you're a little bit dehydrated, it's going to look a little more concentrated. Don't worry about it!

Is it normal to have more discharge when you’re working out? 

Dr. Draper: It can be. It’s also sometimes hard to differentiate sweat from vaginal fluid. You might also be having urinary leakage with exercise. That is completely treatable. We recommend patients be evaluated by a pelvic floor physical therapist who can help. 

Vaginas in the Wild 

Is it okay to wear underwear for multiple days in a row when backpacking? 

Dr. Draper: Yes, it's okay. I think the important thing is to keep them clean and dry—a wool product would help do that. You can also consider alternating between two pairs, leaving one out under UV light to help kill some bacteria so there’s always a dry pair. 

Editor’s note: Check out the reviews of our Essential Hipster to see why women love our Innerwear for backpacking. As Julia from Laguna Nigel says, “Can't recommend these enough. I wore my pair (almost) every day of my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. They dried quickly when I swam, and, most importantly, didn't ride up or cause chafing.”

What’s the best way to keep my privates clean in the backcountry?

Dr. Draper: Unscented wipes work well. If you have access to water, just plain water is fine, too. The vagina is self-cleaning. 

Some women like to use pee rags when hiking. Is this something you’d recommend?

Dr. Draper: Yes, this helps you wipe instead of drip drying which can leave urine residue on your underwear. A cloth can help prevent odor and keep your underwear dry. You can hang it on your back so the UV rays can treat it or lay it out in the sun.

How do you handle your period in the backcountry? 

Dr. Draper: For big expeditions, you may want to consider managing your cycles ahead of time. You can talk to your gynecologist in advance about a hormonal birth control method that would prevent you from having a period. You can also pack in and pack out pads or tampons. Menstrual cups may be difficult to keep clean. 

Periods — What’s Normal? 

Can working out change the length of your menstrual cycle? 

Dr. Schnapp: If you go from being sedentary to becoming more active and you lose some weight, there's a good chance that your periods are going to be much more manageable—less bleeding, less pain, more regulated. 

Fat cells make estrogen, so if you have a high fat-to-muscle ratio, you're going to make more estrogen which is going to affect your cycle. The opposite is also true. Women who are working out a ton and have a very low body fat percentage will stop having periods. [This can lead to weakened bones and stress fractures.]

How quickly after coming off of the pill will my cycle come back to normal? 

Dr. Draper: If someone had a normal cycle before they went on the pill, it should come right back within the next month—within three months at the longest. If it doesn’t, then something else may be an underlying issue. 

Vaginas in the Water 

Can you go swimming or surfing with a yeast infection? 

Dr. Draper: Yes, you can. If the vaginal area is irritated and uncomfortable, you can use Aquaphor to coat the vulva and act as a protective barrier from the bathing suit or salt water. 

Editor’s note: You can wear Merino Innerwear as a swimsuit too! 

Is there any danger to your private areas with cold plunging? 

Dr. Draper: No, not from a vaginal health perspective.

Vaginas on a Bike 

What do you think of the chamois-free movement? 

Dr. Schnapp: From a personal perspective, I’m a chamois girl all the way. And I'm also a huge chamois butter fan. I do have a couple of patients who are big cyclists and they have come in at various points and they've gotten a big cyst [from not protecting their groin]. Sometimes it has to get drained; sometimes we leave it alone. 

I think really that's more a matter of comfort. If you have the wrong chamois or if it’s too thick, it’s going to be uncomfortable. Your best bet is wearing a chamois that’s shaped right to fit your body, but it comes down to personal preference.

I have an “outie” vagina that’s uncomfortable when I ride a bike. What’s the best way to handle this?

Dr. Draper: Definitely get fitted for a proper bike seat because they are not all made the same. There are bike seats made for women who have more of an outer vagina. I would also use something that helps cut down on friction with chamois butter or Aquaphor. 

Dr. Schnapp: If you’re experiencing prolapse where the walls of the vagina are starting to fall out, there’s something called a pessary that an ob-gyn can fit for you. It’s a device that goes in the vagina and makes a little shelf between your pubic bone and your spine for your vagina to rest on. You can also try an Impressa. You can find that in the same aisle as tampons. It looks like a jack and it fills the space and makes a support for the vagina. Those are disposable, but I recommend my patients give that a try and if they are having luck with the Impressa, they might be a great candidate for a pessary. 

Let’s Talk About Sex 

Can sex toys desensitize the clitoris? 

Dr. Schnapp: No. Have at it! The clitoris is just a big bundle of nerves like anywhere else in your body. No matter how many times I touch my knee, I can still feel myself touching my knee. 

Sometimes after sex I get a really funky smell down there. What’s causing this and how can I stop it?

Dr. Draper: It’s most likely due to the pH balance of the vagina being disrupted. It’s not a true infection, but obviously bothersome. The way to help reduce this is to avoid having any scented products in the vagina, so look at what kind of soaps and body washes your partner is using. 

Having multiple partners can also cause disruption. [Different people’s semen has different pH levels.] In a monogamous relationship, sometimes that will level out because your body sort of adjusts to that pH disruption. If it’s the same partner and it doesn't get better, you can consider condom use.

General Care 

How often should I be getting a check-up down there?

Dr. Draper: We recommend an annual women's exam once a year. We will talk about all your women’s health issues like birth control, STD, cancer screening, and menopause symptoms. We’ll also do your breast exam and pelvic exam. The pap smear test itself only needs to be done every three years for someone who has a normal history—but that’s only one piece of the exam. Many women think they only need to come in every three years, so that’s a big misconception that we are working to debunk. We want to see you every year. 

If I’m wearing Merino underwear, how often should I be changing them to keep everything healthy?

Dr. Schnapp: Your underwear is just sitting against your skin. It's not going inside the vagina. The same as if you can wear the same bra for several days in a row, you can wear the same underwear.