Giving room for the vaginas to breathe

Taken from medicaldaily.com

by Susan Palmes-Dennis 

IF mothers know better, then grandmothers know best.

I'm reminded of my mother (Nanay) and grandmother (Lola) after reading online about feminine hygiene. It was just a line about “let the vagina breathe” that I was reminded of the two important women of my life. 

Why? These two women in my life said something about letting the vagina or in the Visayan dialect ”bisong” breathe a little. 

It was not explained to me nor did I ask them what they meant. In my mind, I had to ask why should we girls and women allow the “bisong” to breathe when it is part of our bodies already and it doesn't have a nose. 

I forgot about it until yesterday when I read online about certain underwear that are good for the vagina. Let the vagina breath, I can hear my mother and grandma tell me. To which I responded are you kidding me?

Flowers
A little throwback: back in the days after the end of the school year I would be spending a month with my Lola Mimay nee Geronima Ejem Espellarga. She lived that time in Diclum, Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon province.

Those were the times when days are longer and nights are shorter which gives children enough time to play. I can still recall the fresh air and the humming of the birds. 

My lola would always remind me before retiring for the night to wash my “flower” so that it can breathe. Sure enough she had a ready “gallon of water for me.” 

But what I considered most memorable would be attending the Mass every Wednesday at the Chapel of Mrs. Dolying Tugot because it would mean a lot of “suman” (plain sticky rice) or “biko” (sticky rice sweetened with brown sugar) afterwards.

It was one of those times when we chanced upon a group of young women aged between 18 to 22 years old who wore fitting clothes. It was only later when I realized that these women may have come from a golf course in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon province near Mrs. Tugot's place.

But that's not the story, the story is all about my lola's comment when she saw those young ladies. She commented that their “flowers couldn't breathe.” 

No answers
That was the second time she mentioned about a feminine private part and the importance of breathing.

Without me asking or my lola talking to me, she said something like “ka pioot ba pahangini sad na ninyu inyu flower (That's so tight, please give some air to your flower).” I don’t know if they heard my lola say it as she was actually talking to herself. But I heard her say it and I can still recall it to this day. 

Then as I grew older my Nanay would remind me about the same thing, saying a female's privates should always be cleaned to allow it to breathe.

In fact if you can remember I wrote once about the “underappreciated napkin” and that I used layers of petticoats during my regular periods instead of using tight shorts in order to allow the vagina to breathe. 

Now I read that part and I was reminded about what my Nanay and Lola said and it could be true right? Because they are not around anymore and my little Susie and Arianne might ask me one of these days about it and I have no answers for them.

Feminine hygiene
Back in those days I have no idea whether it was true or funny at all. Right now I thought that was funny. 

Naturally the vagina should stay clean and dry enough to breathe. If not, women should wash it because of the pH content and the risk of infection. What a woman wears can affect the health of their vaginas. 

My Nanay also commented about those mother-daughter moments especially when talking about the a vagina or ”bisong” and how it should be given time to breathe. 

I'm only amazed I didn't laugh out loud so many times when talking about it with my mom. And now many years later, here I am having read about an online post which I could not find now (thanks senior moments) on feminine hygiene and I am reminded about the topic.

Anyway the obvious first tip for women in allowing the vaginas to breathe is not to wear tight underwear or pants. A little online research and I found that certain types of fabrics and styles worn close to the genitals can raise heat and moisture. 

Comfortable
This can lead to bacteria overgrowth and infections. So women, please avoid wearing tight clothes to prevent this problem from happening. I Googled and saw that ancient women had no universal rule in undergarments.

People wore what was comfortable, available, or necessary for modesty -- or nothing at all. So wearing nothing is not only a fad of the present, it had been done before.

Since the vagina is producing acid by itself and acid produces heat I think then it should be given a little space to make it comfortable. Yep, if only the vaginas can talk it would really complain that we use tight jeans too much.

Well I have to analyze the comments of my Nanay and Lola in light of the present environment. I think what they meant then has something to do with wearing cotton underwear. 

Synthetic fabrics can exacerbate the acid. There are women who don't wear underwear just like their ancient counterparts. How I wish I can do that but my age requires me to wear one because I leak most of the time. 

Air out
I could not hold my urine anymore. It comes with age I guess.  I am "leaky" pretty frequently. Still, I just need to be free and let my vagina "breathe." I don't know, it's just a feeling I get where I feel like I need to air-out.

There would nothing wrong if you wear cotton underwear. What about a thong? Would wearing that help because it occupies only a part of the butt? I have no idea as I don’t use one. 

It is strange that I am reminded of my Lola and Nanay in the ways of the present. But I know now what they meant by it.  There would nothing wrong if women wear cotton underwear and avoid thongs. 

Try not to wear tight-fitting clothing and change sweaty workout and wet clothing. So to the women reading this post, let the vaginas breathe and they may have less than one thing to worry about.

Taken from healthcareasia.org

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.

Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)