1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never told You from House top 2 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 1: Kristen and I'm Caroline, and today we are talking about 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:22,920 Speaker 1: bacterial vaginosis. And I realized at this point people might 5 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: be putting their fingers in their ears, which would require 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: them taking their earbuds out of their ears, because bacterial 7 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: vaginosis doesn't sound like the funnest topic in the world, 8 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: but it is something that women need to know about, right, Caroline, Right, 9 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: it's a very very common condition, and it's actually vaginitis 10 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: in general is sort of an umbrella term for a 11 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: lot of common conditions that women experience. But let's break 12 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: it down for you now. So what is bacterial vaginosis. 13 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: It's when the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina 14 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: get disrupted and replaced by an overgrowth of certain other 15 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: kinds of bacteria. And this is sometimes accompanied by discharge, odor, pain, itching, 16 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: and burning. And when you say that it's common, Caroline, 17 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:14,560 Speaker 1: it is in fact the most common vaginal infection in 18 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:19,800 Speaker 1: women of child bearing age. Older female listeners hit menopause 19 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: high five, you are out of the risk of b 20 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 1: v but um for women of childbearing age it is 21 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 1: very much uh, something that happens to the vagina. But 22 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: even though doctors have known about b V since NIVE 23 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: when it was first identified, there's still a lot of 24 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: mystery about its ideology and how it comes about. But 25 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: they know that it's associated with the decrease in lacto 26 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: back silly I in the vagina and the subsequent overgrowth 27 00:01:54,280 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: of anaerobic polymicrobials, At which point I'm sure everyone's like, oh, 28 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: that makes so much sense. It says, darn poly microbials. Again, Well, 29 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: what we're saying is in lay terms, it's an increase 30 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:09,519 Speaker 1: in the pH in the vagina. This also happens that 31 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: the PAH will change naturally in the vagina every month 32 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 1: whenever your menstrual cycle comes around. Things up and down. 33 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 1: That's why we talk a lot about the the ecosystem 34 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: of the vagina that bacterial balance, because it's not so 35 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: hard for things to get a little bit out of wax. 36 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: It's like having your very own terrarium. So you might 37 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: be worried about what is a risk factor and what 38 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: is not. Certain things do increase your risks, such as 39 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 1: having a new sex partner or multiple sex partners, and 40 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: as we will get into and as we have talked 41 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: about before, with a stern finger wagging, don't douche. Douche, Yes, 42 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: down with a douche, but something that doesn't increase your 43 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: risk that you don't have to worry about. Toilet seats. 44 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: I know we have a lot of very toilet seat 45 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: phobic listeners out there, but also betting and swimming pools, 46 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: So feel free to jump in that swimming pool this summer. 47 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:05,919 Speaker 1: And here is yet another part where you might want 48 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: to prepare yourself for a little bit of unpleasantness coming 49 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: into your ears. And that is the signs and symptoms 50 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: of BEV, which include abnormal white or grayish discharge and 51 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: the hallmark symptom strong fish like odor. Yeah, and that 52 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: might I mean you might feel like, oh gosh, I 53 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: should douche if it smells weird. No, if it smells weird, 54 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: you should go to your doctor. Yes, And we'll get 55 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: more into vaginal odors. I know you can't wait, you 56 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: can't wait, but we'll get more into vaginal odors because 57 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: vaginas have a smell yea as the penises, but this 58 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: is a particular smell that is a sign that something 59 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: is off in your underpan Stereeum, yes, we need to 60 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: make a T shirt. But if you are pregnant or 61 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: undergoing a hysterectomy or an abortion, BEV is something that 62 00:03:57,040 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: you definitely want to be aware of. You might want 63 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 1: to get screened for it. In fact, and not to 64 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: sound too alarmists, but BEV also increases a woman's susceptibility 65 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: to HIV and sexually transmitted diseases and increases the chances 66 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:16,279 Speaker 1: that an HIV infected woman can pass that HIV along 67 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: to her partner, So you definitely want to be on 68 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: the lookout for this. The treatment for it is pretty straightforward. 69 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: It's antibiotics, um, and you want to make sure, as 70 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: always with antibiotics, that you finish your dose. If you're like, oh, hey, 71 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: fish shoulder is gone, I've got a few pills left, 72 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: but I don't need those. No, you want to finish 73 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: it because you want to lower that risk of recurrent 74 00:04:37,960 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: b V, which can happen, but if you take the antibiotics, 75 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 1: you are helping to ward it off for longer, and 76 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:47,159 Speaker 1: other ways that you can lower that risk is keeping 77 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: the bacteria balance by washing your vagina and your anus 78 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: with soap every day. Wiping from front to back and 79 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: keeping the area cool. I feel like there's a song 80 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: in there about wiping from front to back and keep 81 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 1: the area cool. There you go, that's a vagina jingle. 82 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,279 Speaker 1: And again, don't do Should we talk about douching? Why 83 00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 1: shouldn't douche? Let's talk about it. Yeah, we've talked about 84 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: it in one of my favorite episodes of Stuff, I'm 85 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,599 Speaker 1: Never told you down with the douche um. The reason 86 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: why you don't want to douche, among many others, is 87 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,840 Speaker 1: that it removes the normal bacteria from the vagina, and 88 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 1: in removing that bacteria, you can disrupt that ecosystem and 89 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: those harmful bacteria can come in and then lead to 90 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,320 Speaker 1: b V. And you also want to have regular pelvic 91 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: exams as well, so you have an expert, you know, 92 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: a ductor nurse practitioner helping you keep everything in check. 93 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: So an American Journal of Epidemiology study in July two 94 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: thousand eight looked at douching practices among women and which 95 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 1: came first? You know? They said that douching is practiced 96 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: more often by women who had bevy. But it's a 97 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,080 Speaker 1: chicken in the egg. Which came first? Does the douche 98 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: and caused the BEV or just the b V lead 99 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: women to douche. They adjusted for women who douched in 100 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: response to b V symptoms and found a significant increase 101 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 1: in the risk of b V for participants who did, 102 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: in fact douche. They also found that the odds of 103 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 1: b V reduced seventy seven percent when these women stopped douching. Yeah, therefore, 104 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:23,919 Speaker 1: douching has been established as an independent risk factor for 105 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: bacterial vaginosis. So you know the reason why some women 106 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,040 Speaker 1: still douche is so they think it's something good for 107 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: their vaginas, in fact, it is not. It is just 108 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: the opposite of that, correct increasing your risk for a 109 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:40,479 Speaker 1: bacterial infection. So, now that we've given you a clinical 110 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: overview of what b V is, let's take a quick break, Caroline, 111 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,560 Speaker 1: and when we come back, we'll get into some more 112 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 1: details about certain risk factors and other ways to lower 113 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: your chances of developing bacterial vaginosis. So we're back, and 114 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,799 Speaker 1: the next shin to tackle with b V is whether 115 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: or not it is a sexually transmitted disease because it's 116 00:07:06,839 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: associated with sex partners. Like you said, Caroline, one of 117 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: the risk factors for developing b V is new sex partners, 118 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: having multiple sex partners, not using condom, stuff like that. 119 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: So if it's associated with sex, does that make BV 120 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: an STD Well, yes and no. It can be sexually transmitted, 121 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: but it's not necessarily the same kind of STD R 122 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: S t I that we think of when we typically 123 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: think of one. So there was a two thousand one 124 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: study in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. It's a pretty 125 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: upfront title of a of a journal. They looked at 126 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:44,560 Speaker 1: nearly nine thousand women under the age of forty five 127 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:46,880 Speaker 1: and found that the b V prevalence was twelve point 128 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: nine per cent. And they found in looking at these 129 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: women that risk factors included some that were in common 130 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: with contracting gonorrhea and chlamydia. Those included having more than 131 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: one sexual partner in the past three months, having a 132 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: history of bacterial sexually transmitted infections, and being of black 133 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: or Caribbean ethnicity, and living in a deprived area. But 134 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: bacterial vaginisis did have a contrasting age profile and was 135 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 1: most prevalent among women over thirty. In fact, yeah, this 136 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: has been a puzzle for medical researchers because when BAB 137 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: was first described in nineteen fifty five by a pair 138 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: of doctors. They classified it as a sexually transmitted infection 139 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: because they isolated a certain type of bacteria which was 140 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,920 Speaker 1: found not only in the female patients but also in 141 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 1: the male contexts as they were called of those female cases. 142 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: So they assumed, oh, well this, you know, there's a 143 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: common bacteria between these men and women who are having sex. 144 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: Therefore this must be an s t I. But it 145 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: is now known that that type of bacteria occurs in 146 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: up to fifty of women without b V as well. 147 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: You can have never had sexual intercourse before and still 148 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,239 Speaker 1: develop bb right, Yeah, so there must be other factors 149 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: other than sexual activity there that are important in developing 150 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: that condition. So, yeah, while other activities than sexual activity 151 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: can be important in the development of the condition, it 152 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: can in fact be spread by sexual partners. It can 153 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:26,480 Speaker 1: be spread between female sex partners, whereas male partners generally 154 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: don't need to be treated. Yeah. In fact, lesbian couples 155 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,599 Speaker 1: might be at a greater risk of passing b V 156 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: back and forth because that bacteria might be in one 157 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: vagina and then to another vagina with the contact, and 158 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: then you have it going back and forth, and there 159 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 1: have been studies finding higher rates of b B among 160 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: lesbian couples. So that's something to keep in mind. Yeah, 161 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: I mean, now that we have possibly given you some 162 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 1: things to worry about. Um, just keep in mind really 163 00:09:56,840 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: that if your normal vaginal scent, because like we said, 164 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,440 Speaker 1: everybody has a normal smell, but if your normal vaginal 165 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:07,640 Speaker 1: scent changes, if it suddenly becomes much stronger or seems foul, 166 00:10:08,559 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: you should definitely get it checked out, and you should 167 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:15,679 Speaker 1: not leave it untreated because it can recur. Yeah, a 168 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:19,559 Speaker 1: lot of times the change in scent is caused by 169 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:24,559 Speaker 1: something like b V, chlamydia, gnaia, pelvic inflammatory disease, poor hygiene. 170 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: I might be a forgotten tampon that does happen, turcomaniasis 171 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: which is the most common type of s p I, 172 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: or a yeast infection. But I do want to underscore though, 173 00:10:36,320 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: that vaginas have a normal scent. If someone if you 174 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: have a sex partner who is simply shaming you for 175 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:47,439 Speaker 1: your genitals having a scent, then that issue is with 176 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 1: that sex partner, not with your vagina or whatever you 177 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: might have. Right, But I mean having having b V 178 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: having odor issues, it actually can have quite a toll 179 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 1: on people. There was this study in the Journal of 180 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 1: American Academy of Nurse Practitioners in February that found that 181 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: recurrent b V is associated with psycho social issues not 182 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:17,920 Speaker 1: addressed during a typical office visit. Women who frequently experience these, uh, 183 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,640 Speaker 1: you know, the strong vaginal odor and they don't take 184 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: care of it and maybe they're just douching to cover 185 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 1: it up, they reported feelings of shame and embarrassment that 186 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:29,839 Speaker 1: often caused them to engage in these hyper vigilant hygiene 187 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: routines that negatively affect their relationships, both professional and personal. Yeah, 188 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: and it makes a lot of sense that a someone 189 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: might not go get b V checked out right away 190 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: because a lot of times when it manifests, there aren't 191 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 1: any outward symptoms, and you might think, oh, well, if 192 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 1: if it recurred a lot of times, the a lot 193 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 1: of times the odor will arise after intercourse, and so 194 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: you might think, oh, well, maybe it has to do 195 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: with semen or simply the sweat that can happen when 196 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,560 Speaker 1: two bodies I'll rubbing up against each or you know, 197 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 1: plenty of other things, and there can be a certain 198 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: amount of shame that can come along without saying like 199 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: I don't really want to have to go talk to 200 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: a stranger about my vagina, but again, you know that's 201 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: what doctors and nurses nurse practitioners are. Therefore, you know, 202 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: if you have an issue, go take care of it. Yeah. 203 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: And so this study really urged proper education, advice, and 204 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: support because bacterial vagin is is is perpetuated by lifestyle 205 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,120 Speaker 1: practices that lead to recurrent infection. I mean, if you're 206 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,080 Speaker 1: ashamed and you don't know who to talk to or 207 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: what it is and how to deal with it, that 208 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: a lot of people experience it, you know, you might 209 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:43,000 Speaker 1: never seek treatment and it just keep getting it and 210 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: it keeps getting worse. Yeah, And that education factor is 211 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: one of the main reasons why we wanted to do 212 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:51,280 Speaker 1: uh this episode on a maybe not so delightful topic 213 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: to talk about because, uh, you know, I'm twenty eight 214 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: and only recently found out about b V even though 215 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: it is the most common form of vaginal and action 216 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,520 Speaker 1: in women. And when we were looking up sources on this, 217 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: I feel like, you you have to know what it 218 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: is in order to find good information. You know, It's 219 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 1: not like it's something that in the same way that 220 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: we might think of a yeast infection or an STD 221 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: like herpes or chlamydia. Oh, we would know just inherently 222 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: to go like look for that and look for those 223 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: risk factors. Um. I don't think that women are as 224 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,000 Speaker 1: aware of b V as maybe they should be. So 225 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,000 Speaker 1: I have that hope that maybe this helps, because it 226 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: could be alarming if you don't know what's going on 227 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: and all of a sudden there's a change down there, 228 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: then you might think that something is wrong with you 229 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: and just be embarrassed. Whereas, oh, you know, it's a 230 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: pH shift, there's some bacteria, gets some antibiotics done. So 231 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 1: I hope this was helpful. And one final takeaway tip 232 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: though that we found from go ask Alice that we 233 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,959 Speaker 1: reference all the time from Columbia University bubble bath fans, 234 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: you might want to be aware how much soap you're 235 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: putting in those bubble baths because heavily perfumed or died 236 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:10,439 Speaker 1: soaps can also irritate the vagina. Yeah, they recommended maybe 237 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 1: taking a shower and soaping up first, and then taking 238 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: a soapless soap in a very clean tub. It makes 239 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 1: you wonder if we should do an episode on the 240 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:23,960 Speaker 1: days oh man, that makes me think of crocodile dundee. Well, 241 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: on that note, let us know your thoughts right to 242 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: us mom Stuff at Discovery dot com about bacterial vagidoses, 243 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: bubble bass, the days, crocodile dundee, any of it, whatever 244 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: your heart desires, mom Stuff at Discovery dot com, or 245 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: you can also hit us up on Facebook and tweet 246 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: us at Mom's Stuff podcast. But right quick, we've got 247 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:49,480 Speaker 1: a couple of emails to share with. Okay, I have 248 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,720 Speaker 1: a message here from Robin about our school uniforms episode. 249 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: She said, I just wanted to drop in and say 250 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,760 Speaker 1: that I was one of those kids that desperately wanted 251 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: uniforms when I was in school. I was a really 252 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: overweight kid with terrible self esteem, so picking clothes in 253 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: the morning was torture for me. I was so angry 254 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: that my high school adopted them the years after I graduated. 255 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: But now I work as a co teacher a fancy 256 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: way of saying teacher assistant at an elementary school, and 257 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 1: I still think there should be uniforms. But for the staff. 258 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: You wouldn't believe how unprofessional looking teachers can be. If 259 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,600 Speaker 1: given the chance. Uniforms would not only make us look better, 260 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: but help us feel like more a team. Similar reasoning 261 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,800 Speaker 1: to what's given about students, teachers can be as disjointed 262 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:35,440 Speaker 1: and spiteful to each other as the kids. Honestly, I mean, 263 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: if other workplaces have uniforms for staff, is it such 264 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:41,160 Speaker 1: a huge stretch? I don't think it is, so thanks 265 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: Robin Well, I've got one here from Tara, also about 266 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: dress codes outside of secondary school. So she writes, I 267 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: never had any problems with dress codes until college, and 268 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: now I've had my fair share of difficulties. I'm currently 269 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: in my last semester of nursing school and being in 270 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: a professional program. I under stand that a stricter dress 271 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: code sets it apart, but the dress code is meant 272 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,880 Speaker 1: to promote cleanliness and professionalism. I got written up for 273 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: wearing a headband in the clinical setting. My instructor's reasonings 274 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,600 Speaker 1: were that it's against dress code and that an angry 275 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,640 Speaker 1: patient could strangle me with it, being very diligent. I 276 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 1: reread the student handbook and found no mention of the 277 00:16:20,800 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: illicitness of headbands, So my mistake I or another headband 278 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: making sure it was more discreet and not enclose. Well, 279 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 1: it turns out I had disrespected her authority, which was 280 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: not my intention at all, and I got dragged into 281 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: multiple interrogations and had the event recorded in my file. Meanwhile, 282 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 1: the woman who had primary red hair didn't have any 283 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: problems with anyone, even though unnatural hair colors were in 284 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 1: fact forbidden. So my takeaway was that I feel that 285 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: some of the difficulty with dress codes in high school 286 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: or college is that there is so much subjectivity involved. 287 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 1: One instructor may have no issue with what you wear, 288 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:59,480 Speaker 1: being more lenient, while another could overreact. So good luck 289 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:04,439 Speaker 1: to Tara for the rest of her nursing school. I 290 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: guess just don't wear those headbands, Sarah. I think that's 291 00:17:06,760 --> 00:17:10,919 Speaker 1: the takeaway. Try Barrett, try bobby pins. Don't lose them 292 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: in a patient. So again, if you want to write 293 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:15,919 Speaker 1: to us mom Stuff at Discovery dot com, it's our 294 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 1: email address. You can send us a message on Facebook 295 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: like a stair while you're at it. Also follow us 296 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Mom Stuff podcast and on tumbler as well. 297 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 1: It's stuff Mom Never Told You dot tumblr dot com. 298 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: And if you want to know how vaginas work, you 299 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: can read that very article by Miss Molly Edmonds at 300 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:41,399 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com for more on this and 301 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:52,600 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Does it How stuff works dot Com.