Women have been urged on social media to wash their intimate areas thoroughly in the shower to prevent parts of their genitals from “merging together.”
In response to a thread about feminine hygiene on Reddit, a Maryland urologist explained how a buildup of bacteria and dead skin cells in specific tissues can cause parts to “stick” together.
Last month, a user in the Reddit group r/TwoXChromosomes wrote a post warning of the problem, which affects the clitoris, the highly sensitive part of the vulva that contains a large number of nerve endings.
In the post, user PeculiarOcelot suggested that nearly one in four women may have had part or all of their clitoris (a woman’s main sexual pleasure zone) fused together from not properly washing the area.
Not washing your intimate areas properly could cause clitoral adhesions, when body parts ‘fuse’.
Urologist Dr. Rachel Rubin weighed in and explained that the phenomenon is called clitoral adhesions, which occurs when the protective hood over the clitoris sticks 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 difficult to stimulate the clitoris during sexual intercourse.
According to the International Society of Sexual Medicine (ISSM), inadequate hygiene is one of the most common causes of clitoral adhesion because it causes a buildup of smegma, a combination of skin cells, oils, and other types of moisture.
Additionally, irritation around that area due to friction from clothing or frequent sex can cause adhesions.
In 2022, a study Dr. Rubin’s found that 23 percent of women who visit a sexual health office, regardless of the reason, have clitoral adhesions.
Dr. Rubin said buzzfeed that cleaning the clitoral hood is similar to teaching boys to remove the foreskin to prevent a similar problem called phimosis.
In phimosis, uncircumcised boys and men cannot easily retract the foreskin.
This usually does not cause problems, but in some people it can cause redness, discoloration, swelling, pain, pain when urinating, and pain when having erections or having sex.
‘When you have erections and it moves and stretches, you don’t feel as good. Hurts. It is restricted. It’s not comfortable,” Dr. Rubin said.
He noted that the clitoris and penis are actually very similar, having the same tissues, muscles, and nerves, although the clitoris has not been studied as much as the penis. “The clitoris is exactly the same in every way, shape and form,” she said.
“The thing is that we don’t urinate or penetrate with the clitoris, so science has completely stopped hearing about them.”
The ISSM notes that “maintaining good hygiene practices, including regular cleaning of the genital area, can help prevent the recurrence of adhesions.” This includes removing the hood when 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, which has a ridge around it like a mushroom,” he said.