Women are being urged on social media to wash their private parts thoroughly in the shower to prevent parts of their genitals from ‘merging’.
In response to a feminine hygiene thread on Reddit, a Maryland urologist explained how a buildup of bacteria and dead skin cells on specific tissues can cause parts to “stick” together.
Last month, a user in the Reddit group r/TwoXChromosomes wrote a message warning of the problem, which affects the clitoris – the highly sensitive part of the vulva that contains an abundance of nerve endings.
In the post, user PeculiarOcelot suggested that almost one in four women have had their clitoris (a woman’s main sexual pleasure zone) partially or completely fused due to not washing the area properly.
Not washing your intimate parts properly can lead to clitoral adhesions, when the body part ‘melts’ together
Urologist Dr. Rachel Rubin weighed in, explaining that this phenomenon is called clitoral adhesions, which means the protective hood above the clitoris becomes stuck to it.
This is essentially the female equivalent of a man’s foreskin.
Normally, when a woman becomes sexually aroused, the clitoris swells and the hood retracts. However, clitoral adhesions can prevent the hood from moving, making it more difficult to stimulate the clitoris during sex.
According to the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM), improper hygiene is one of the most common causes of clitoral adhesion because it leads to a buildup of smegma, a combination of skin cells, oils and other fluids.
Additionally, irritation around that area from clothing friction or frequent sex can lead to adhesions.
In 2022, a study by Dr. Rubin found that 23 percent of women who visit a sexual health practice, regardless of the reason, have clitoral adhesions.
Dr. Rubin said Buzzfeed that cleaning the clitoral hood is akin to boys being taught to pull back their foreskin to prevent a similar problem called phimosis.
With phimosis, uncircumcised boys and men cannot easily retract their foreskin.
This usually does not cause any problems, but in some people it can cause redness, discoloration, swelling, pain, pain during urination and pain with erections or sex.
‘When you get an erection and it moves and stretches, it doesn’t feel very good. It hurts. It’s limited. It’s not comfortable,” Dr. Rubin said.
She noted that the clitoris and penis are actually very similar, having the same tissues, muscles and nerves, although the clitoris has not been studied nearly as much as the penis. “The clitoris is exactly the same in every way, shape and form,” she said.
“It’s just that we don’t urinate or penetrate through our clitoris, so science hasn’t heard anything about it at all.”
ISSM notes that “maintaining good hygiene practices, including regular cleaning of the genital area, can help prevent recurrence of adhesions.” This includes pulling back the hood while showering.
Dr. Rubin recommends using a hand mirror to check for adhesions. “The head of the clitoris should look like the head of the penis, with a ridge around it like a mushroom,” she said.