KINGSTON, Jamaica – While perspiration is a normal bodily function, excessive sweating can cause shame and affect self-esteem, especially if it occurs in the pubic area. It’s an issue many people in Jamaica struggle with, even more so as the country grapples with scorching temperatures from the sweltering summer heat. The matter, however, is one that is easily remedied.

According to Dr Michelle Campbell Mitchell, Consultant Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Associate Lecturer at The University Hospital of the West Indies, it is not uncommon for persons, especially women, to experience excessive perspiration in the pubic area. The area, she explained, is made up of sweat glands, and perspiration is the body’s natural way of cooling itself. Without sweat, one’s body would not be able to tolerate the heat it produces and thus she indicated that if one experiences sweating in that area, it is nothing to be ashamed of.

“This is a particularly relevant topic to discuss especially now with the heat wave we’re experiencing and so I must say, firstly, that if you’re going through this, don’t be ashamed. It is completely normal. This is something I talk about and present on all the time,” she told OBSERVER ONLINE. “Unfortunately there is always some shame and embarrassment surrounding the issue but I’ve found that’s because it is something that is very poorly understood.”

According to the doctor, “A lot of women who experience this think that they need to clean the vagina to rid themselves of the problem and they proceed to insert rags, garlic, yoghurt, yoni pills and all sorts of strange things that I’ve had to remove.”

She went on to state that inserting alien things not advised by a medical practitioner to remedy the sweating issue almost always leads to greater problems.

“Interestingly, this improper attempt at cleaning almost always leads to infection,” she explained, adding that when women experience certain issues they tend to forget that the vagina is self-cleaning. “Even steaming is a practice many women engage in to assist in cleaning. They think they need to sit over hot water and steam out their vaginas and nothing is further from the truth. In fact, I’ve seen people get burnt from trying to steam clean.”

For Dr Campbell Mitchell, the sweating issue has easy fixes. From altering one’s diet to simply washing the pubic area with a mild soap, maintaining proper pubic hygiene, especially in the heatwave, is achievable.

Here are tips she recommends:

1. Proper hygiene starts with using mild soap to wash the vulval area. You will want to dry the area and avoid the daily wearing of panty liners. That is another common misconception. You do not need to wear a pantyliner to maintain hygiene. In fact, you are more likely to increase sweating in the area by wearing one every day. If you are uncomfortable with the discharge, walk with extra panties and change as it pleases you.

2. Grooming is very important. Grooming one’s hair down there doesn’t necessarily mean getting a clean shave or wax, but trimming the hair and keeping it low so that the vulval area remains cool and less sweaty. That’s a good place to start.

3. You want the area to breathe and so one should definitely wear cotton underwear. Cotton is by far the most breathable material. Women want to wear more appealing underwear and so I tell patients that the seat of the underwear needs to be cotton.

4. It is not wrong to consider using an antiperspirant very sparingly and note I said antiperspirant and not deodorant. The two are vastly different. A deodorant is perfumed and may actually be very irritant. But an antiperspirant should be a very last resort and one should definitely consult a doctor before use.

5. Alter your diet. Diets that are very rich in sugar and processed food and carbohydrates will influence one’s vaginal health. Those diets tend to be very pro-yeast infection development because they can throw off your pH balance.

While the issue of sweating in the pubic area is one that mostly affects women, Dr Campbell Mitchell said it is also important that men maintain proper pubic health, especially in the heat of the summer. She recommends washing the area regularly with a mild soap as well as keeping one’s hair low.