Vaginitis is not toilet infection, expert says

Toilet infection is a very common term among women and girls in the country. Whenever they suffer from vaginal itching, discharge or odour, they immediately conclude that they are suffering from ‘toilet infections’ and resort to self-medication Schoolgirls are often afraid of getting toilet infections from their school toilets. However, a Gurama A. Gurama, a […]

Toilet infection is a very common term among women and girls in the country. Whenever they suffer from vaginal itching, discharge or odour, they immediately conclude that they are suffering from ‘toilet infections’ and resort to self-medication

Schoolgirls are often afraid of getting toilet infections from their school toilets.

However, a Gurama A. Gurama, a pharmaceutical microbiologist and biotechnologist, said “Toilet Infection” is a misnomer for a group of conditions referred to as vaginitis, which result in itching, and vaginal discharge which is usually smelly.

He said the three main causes of vaginitis are:

-Bacterial Vaginosis,

-Candidiasis, and

-Trichomoniasis.

Gurama, who is also an assistant lecturer, faculty of Pharmacy, Gombe State University said none of the three were gotten or contacted from the toilet.

He said, “Some will swear it started right after they used a public toilet but it usually starts long before that “toilet” is used and can be attributed to the vaginal practices of the owner.

“Now this is how it goes down: Your vagina has bacteria living in it already, let’s call it good bacteria or normal flora, known as lactobacilli, that’s what makes the vagina acidic.

“Now there are other bacteria outside, on your skin, from your anus, on that person’s finger, on penis, dildo, face and what have you, that wants to overpower the good bacteria. It’s a war. Remember it’s all about balance.”

Gurama said some people erroneously think that washing inside the vagina makes it cleaner, but that rather kills off the good bacteria and allows the bad bacteria to grow everywhere.

“Leave the vagina alone! It knows how to do its job by itself naturally, which is an involuntary action. It can clean itself, if you must clean, clean just the surface with running water, avoid washing inside, avoid harsh soaps and what have you. They just make things worse, so avoid it.

“You might decide to try out a new sexual partner, or use an intrauterine device, or abuse antibiotics. They make it easier for you to get bacterial vaginosis.”

The expert said candidiasis, often accompanied with itching and the whitish milky discharge, was caused by an overgrowth of a fungus known as Candida, especially when the area is damp for long.

He added that it could also be caused by abusing antibiotics, pregnancy, diabetes or even HIV. “Or some practices in the name of cleaning the vagina. “The discharge from this may not always smell bad,” he said.

He said the last one Trichomoniasis is sexually transmitted. “Yes, and you don’t get it from the toilet. It can also be spread by oral sex or anal sex. The discharge is watery, and associated with itching and foul smell.”

He gave the following tips on preventing the three infections:

-Avoid multiple sex partners

-Always test your sexual partner and yourself for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

-Wear dry cotton panties, strings should not be worn for long periods.

-Avoid douching.

– Stop abusing antibiotics

-Use condoms, don’t share sex toys and others.

The expert, however, added that the toilet could cause Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in some ladies, but that it was different from a vaginal infection.

He said, “Sometimes the backsplash of water in the toilet bowl to you when excreting or cleaning could infect your urinary tract and lead to a UTI.”

He said women and girls should not just rush to the drug store and start abusing drugs when they have a vaginal discharge, but see a pharmacist or doctor.

“I think I should point out here that poorly treated pelvic infections can affect fertility in the future, make sure you get proper treatment.”