But what about the natural odor that may be present at other times? Is it healthy? Is it noticeable to others? Should we care? This article will address the health and confidence issues we need to think about, look at some differing attitudes about feminine hygiene, and offer some advice for keeping this area clean and healthy.

Are you one of those women who responds to ads or commercials about "feminine hygiene sprays" with laughter or a knowing smile? Good! These products started to become popular in the 1960s; I remember the ads and commercials targeted young women, and in the 1970s they even tried to appeal to the hippie crowd by showing girls dressed in flowing tunics and flowers in their hair! Young women are a very vulnerable advertising demographic, and this has hardly changed since the 1960s. However, these days most of us are well-informed about issues of sexuality and health, and also very consumer-savvy, so we know that just because a product exists for a particular purpose, it doesn't mean we need to use it.

Vaginal sprays do not eliminate odor; they mask it with heavy perfumes. Women who are insecure about their odor should realize that vaginal odor is virtually unnoticeable to anyone nearby when we are clothed; but that perfumed products are noticeable to many! The same is true of deodorant menstrual products like tampons and pads. I have been noticing a lot of these on the market lately after they had become less popular during the trend towards "natural" and organic products really took off in the late 1990s. Having these perfumed pads or tampons in or near the vagina may cause irritation or allergic reactions in some women.

While it is true that menstrual blood may have an odor after it has left the body, this is not because of the blood itself but because of bacteria it may be exposed to in the air. So using a deodorant tampon is really a waste of time. Keeping clean between showers and baths during your period can help lessen odor, too; some women like to use pre-packaged wipes which can be carried unobtrusively in your bag (Summer's Eve makes one that is not too full of perfumes; or if you're very sensitive try hypo-allergenic or unscented baby wipes). The menstrual period is the body's way of eliminating material that would otherwise be used to prepare the uterus for pregnancy: when it is pushed out, the vagina is clean and healthy and your reproductive system is ready to begin the cycle again.

You may have noticed you get a somewhat heavier or stickier discharge than normal a few days before your period, during ovulation, and that when your period ends there is virtually no vaginal discharge. This is completely normal. If you do have heavy or odorous discharge, this is a sign of an infection and you need to get checked out by your doctor. It may be that some women who think they are using perfumed products to treat natural odor are in fact trying to cover up the smell of infection; and the perfumes in sprays, douches and deodorant tampons can make it worse. Some women even use those little panty shields every day, and some anecdotal evidence shows that this may cause the vagina to produce even more discharge to compensate for protecting itself from this contact with perfumed materials.

Speaking of douching, let's talk about this. The word is French for "wash" or "shower." In Europe, women tend to take baths more often than showers; in the U.S. the opposite is true. This may explain the disproportionate use of douches here: the small amount of water that gets into the vagina during a bath may be what makes these women feel fresh and clean and confident, whereas our showering habits may leave us wondering if we are not as "fresh" as we might be. (Okay, I am starting to sound like one of those commercials.) European women do not tend to use douche unless advised by a doctor to do so. Also, in Europe the attitude towards feminine hygiene is slightly different. Sexually-active women wish to wash away the scent and residue of what men leave behind: semen can be kind of smelly after a while! But American women tend to want to douche because they perceive that their own odor is what is offensive. Hence the many heavily-scented products on the market. Is smelling like artificial lilacs or lemons really any better than what we perceive as unpleasant vaginal odor?

Douching in and of itself is not harmful if done with plain water or with vinegar or baking soda solutions (which are used to restore acid balance in the vagina and in some cases, according to folklore, to help increase the chances of conceiving a male or female child). But too much douching can upset the natural acid mantle of the vagina by washing away natural, healthy bacteria, and this may cause an infection. Do your body a favor and lay off the douche and start taking baths to feel extra clean. Heavily scented bath products may also cause irritation, though, so try to use products that are all natural and use real essential oils for fragrance, like those made by Lush, Fresh, or other natural cosmetics companies.