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For weeks now, Cardi B.’s song “W.A.P.,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion, has been dominating the charts. It’s important for women to talk about their bodies and their sexual pleasure. And for all the criticisms W.A.P. has received from conservatives, in many circles it’s started a conversation about the normal functions of the vagina and vaginal health. 

And we don’t want you to be left out. So we spoke to Dr. Brandye Wilson- Manigat, OB/GYN with Pasadena Women’s Medical Group about vaginal lubrication, keeping your pH balanced and sexual pleasure. 

See what she had to say. 

 

MadameNoire: We are talking about W.A.P. and vaginal lubrication in light of Cardi B’s new single. The song has done a lot in terms of women openly discussing vaginal health. But some people might be wondering if their vagina is wet enough. Is there like a base level of lubrication women should have and are there indications when your vagina is not lubricating enough?

 

Dr. Brandye: In terms of lubrication, it varies. One person may have, like you said, a river, and another person is like yeah no it’s enough. It does what it needs to do. For the most part, it has to do with whatever your baseline is and then when we think about, is this abnormal? We want to know you if there is any itching, irritation or bad odor. Those are signs and symptoms that maybe there’s an infection versus this is your natural lubricant. 

The general natural lubricant is a clear to white or light yellow color over the course of your whole menstrual cycle. If you start to get weird colors, you want to come in. It’s a variable. I have people coming in to see me and they are like it’s dry! I take a look and I’m like, ‘It’s not actually dry. It looks fine as far as the moisture level.’ But I know it’s more of the sensation of it is dry. It feels like stuff is rubbing and there’s too much friction. That’s one of the common things we see as far as the symptom of ‘it’s dry.’ You’re not feeling like there’s a smoothness to what’s happening.  

Sometimes it can be the menopausal changes or the use of birth control can give you more of a dry sensation or less lubrication. When you’re breast-feeding that can also mimic that same kind of dryness. It can extend to the outer vulva into the lips and that generally shows up as the sensation of things being irritated.

 

MadameNoire: Do people still use the word secretion? Is that correct?

Or is vaginal discharge accurate?

Dr. Brandye: For me, discharge can be perceived as a bad thing so I usually say secretion or the normal fluids that come out of the vagina. Because the vagina is a self-cleaning organ.What is coming out is part of that cleaning process. 

 

MadameNoire: How do you maintain a healthy vaginal pH?

Dr. Brandye: Overall your body is pretty good at maintaining it as long as you’re not doing weird stuff. I’m constantly having this conversation with people about hygiene. 

First things first, what are you using to clean that area? You really only need water, maybe a mild bar soap for sensitive skin. You don’t have to use any special Summer’s Eve…you don’t need all that. Your body is fine. Things like douching can change the pH because it’s washing out the bacteria out that are naturally and normally found in the vagina. There are all kinds of organisms that are in there is a delicate balance. Antibiotics will change that. Douching will change that.  Sex will change that. Condoms that have lubricant or certain spermicides on there will change the pH. 

If your partner ejaculates inside of you that will change your PH because it’s a pretty acidic environment. Ejaculate is pretty alkaline so that can change things too. So for the most part not putting anything in the vagina that doesn’t need to be there. Just maintaining a healthy diet. Some people think that eating a lot of yogurts helps, but it is not helping so much with the vagina. The only way yogurt will help is if put it in the vagina. There are some vaginal probiotics that you can use and there are oral tablets that are targeted to the vagina. Those sometimes will help. 

I have some patients who are constantly coming in for yeast infections or BV (bacterial vaginosis) and I recommend the repHresh Pro B and take it every day. It works pretty well. I’ve had really good results. 

MadameNoire: After the video was released, Cardi suggested that people brush their teeth before oral sex because you’re putting your saliva on the genitals, and then certain genitals may get inserted and other places and the bacteria from the food you eat every day can mess with your pH. Is there any truth to that?

Dr. Brandye: I don’t know that there’s any truth to that. I don’t know that  anybody has done a study. In general, you want to make sure that you wash down below. Yes, iit would be nice to brush teeth. Maybe use some Listerine. That might make some other stuff tingle. But yeah, no, I don’t necessarily think that you have to do that. It’s a nice touch but there are no medical reasons for it.

 

MadameNoire: How important is it that people wash before and after sex?

Dr. Brandye: I think it’s a matter of style. If you have gone days without showering, then maybe you should take a shower first. Afterwards though, I think it is important for women, especially if they’re prone to getting urinary tract infections, to urinate. It’s helpful. 

 

MadameNoire: Can you speak about being mentally be ready for sexual intercourse but your body is not there yet. 

Dr. Brandye: Yes, that is one of the things that I talk to women about a lot. I’m a sex and pleasure coach in addition to being an OB-GYN. So one of the things I don’t want to do but my partner wants, so I do what I need to do so that my body gets there and do that. Or, I really do want to. But when I try it it’s not happening. 

I think first and foremost, yes that is a very common thing that happens. Don’t freak out. For the most part, your ability to be aroused in that space is not always a direct, I’m turned on, then my body starts to do the process and then we can have sex. It’s not a 123 kind of deal. It is more of a circle. You can not even be thinking about sex and you get stimulation, get aroused and things start to happen or you see something and you’re mentally ready but your body is like, ‘Wait we still need a little bit more.’ Optimal prep as far as foreplay for a woman is about 15 to 20 minutes. Even before you get to the good stuff, you need about 15 to 20 minutes so that you can really be ready and that will make sure you enjoy the whole experience and that you are more likely to have an orgasm.

 

MadameNoire: Can you explain about taking control of your vaginal health, knowing about your body and recognizing signs can help in terms of sexual pleasure as well?

Dr. Brandye: I think first and foremost, it’s about knowing what’s there. The vagina and vulva are a mystery. It’s Pandora’s Box and nobody wants to go in there, at all. Just knowing what the structures are, what things feel like normally is important. 

But it’s also important because most people only think about sex and orgasm in maybe one, two, or three, tops, ways a woman can orgasm. But there’s actually like like ten different categories of stimulation that you can do to have an orgasm and about five or six of those are in the vagina. So there’s a pleasure point that we need to know about so that we can we able to experience the best of what sex has to offer. 

I’m always a big proponent of knowing what is happening with your body and if something is not going right, you need to, at the very least, email or call your doctor and say this is going on, should I be worried. What do I need to do? And go from there. It’s super important to be in tune with yourself. Even when you’re having sex. 

A lot of times, we’re having sex and our brains are three steps ahead. We’re like, ‘What am I going to make for dinner? I got to get this ready for the kids…’ and so we’re not even into it and we miss out on the benefits of that connection, decreased stress and just enjoying and having that pleasure because we’re so busy with everything else. That’s my big soapbox. Listen ladies, we are worthy of pleasure. Please take part in it. Please enjoy it when it’s happening and don’t be three steps ahead. Know your body and know what feels good for you. One makes sure that area is stimulated and two so that you can teach your partner so they are helping you. They get off on being that source of pleasure for you. 

 

MadameNoire: Why do you think it’s so difficult for Black women especially to embrace pleasure?

Dr. Brandye: I think we have just been taught to give so much of ourselves. That is what is acquainted with being a woman, your giving, nurturing and all that stuff. But actually, the essence of femininity is being receptive. So we’re actually going against how we were made. We’re supposed to be receiving a lot. Yes, we can give and take care of and all that stuff. But when it comes to pleasure, we have been told that it’s not for us. In unspoken ways, in spoken ways. But it is. And if we can break through that, I think this world would be a whole different place. 

 

Dr. Brandye Wilson-Manigat

Source: https://drbrandyemd.com/ / Dr. Brandye Wilson-Manigat

Dr. Brandye Wilson-Manigat is a board certified obstetrician and gynecologist, highly sought-after speaker, and women’s sex and libido coach. You can learn more about her practice and work, here.

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