Added advice

There are plenty of self care tips that you can pass on to customers to help them maintain good intimate health: 

• Only use plain, unperfumed soaps on the vaginal area rather than perfumed products
• Change tampons and sanitary pads frequently (every four to six hours). Menstrual cups can be changed every six to eight hours (or 12 hours if necessary.
• After going to the toilet, wipe from front to back to avoid transferring bacteria to the vaginal area 
• Change underwear after swimming or going to the gym. 

In addition, the following advice can be passed onto women suffering from specific conditions: 

• Vaginal dryness – if menopause is the cause, customers may want to discuss hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with their GP
• Thrush – avoid tight-fitting underwear/tights and wear cotton rather than synthetic underwear. If a customer has diabetes, keeping her blood sugar under control may help
• Cystitis – drink plenty of water. A hot water bottle held against the stomach to relieve pain. Cranberry juice and cranberry supplements may also be beneficial for the urinary tract. Avoid tight-fitting underwear and tights. Wear cotton rather than synthetic underwear
• BV – avoid washing out the vagina (douching) or using strong detergents to wash underwear. 

Signposting

For more information, you can:

• Use your Counter Intelligence Plus training guide
• See Canesten’s intimate health resources: canesten.co.uk/intimate-health/learning-zone
• Visit the NHS website (nhs.uk) and look up the advice for vaginal dryness, cystitis, thrush, BV, STIs and menopause.