Facts on women’s health myths that refuse to die

By Newsflash Writer

Women’s health remains surrounded by myths that continue to spread through social media, wellness influencers and conversations among friends, often leaving women confused about what is normal and what requires medical attention.

According to Dr Joan Okemo, Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist at Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi, many commonly repeated claims about menstruation, hormones, fertility, pregnancy and menopause are either misleading or completely false.

“Your body is not broken, and it does not need fixing by whatever is trending this week,” Dr Okemo says, urging women to seek accurate information from qualified health professionals.

Leave the vagina alone

One persistent myth is that women need to clean inside the vagina. Dr Okemo says douching with water, vinegar, garlic, baking soda or perfumed products can disrupt the vagina’s natural acidic environment, increasing the risk of bacterial vaginosis and irritation.

The vulva can be gently washed with water and, if preferred, a mild unscented soap. The inside of the vagina, however, should be left alone.

A change in vaginal smell also does not automatically mean poor hygiene. However, a new strong or fishy odour accompanied by unusual discharge, itching or pain should be medically assessed.

Menstrual blood changing from bright red to dark red, brown or almost black is another normal occurrence. Blood that takes longer to leave the uterus and vagina has more time to oxidise and therefore becomes darker. Pink blood may occur when menstrual blood mixes with cervical mucus or discharge.

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The colour itself is generally less important than changes from a woman’s usual menstrual pattern. Very heavy bleeding, bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex, bleeding after menopause, foul-smelling discharge or severe pain warrants medical attention.

Dr Okemo also cautions against the social media trend of “hormone balancing”, which presents hormones as the explanation for almost every symptom, including fatigue, acne, bloating, poor sleep and weight gain.

Hormonal changes are real, but similar symptoms can have other causes, including stress, poor sleep, anaemia, thyroid disease, perimenopause, medication effects or pregnancy. Randomly purchased “hormone balancing” supplements may therefore fail to address the actual problem.

Sometimes the appropriate response is better sleep, balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, stress management or medical assessment.

From leaking urine to menopause

Urine leakage during running, jumping, coughing, sneezing or laughing is known as stress urinary incontinence. It occurs when increased abdominal pressure overwhelms the pelvic floor and urethral support system.

However, Dr Okemo warns that pelvic floor problems are not always caused by weak muscles. Some women have overactive or excessively tight pelvic floor muscles, meaning repeatedly doing Kegel exercises can worsen the problem.

A pelvic floor physiotherapist can assess muscle strength, relaxation, coordination, breathing, muscle tone and bladder habits before recommending appropriate treatment.

Another frequently discussed remedy is orgasm for menstrual cramps. Dr Okemo says sexual activity and orgasm can temporarily ease period pain through rhythmic contractions and relaxation of pelvic and uterine muscles, alongside the release of neurochemicals involved in pleasure and pain modulation.

But severe period pain should not simply be accepted as normal. Conditions such as endometriosis and fibroids can cause debilitating pain and require proper diagnosis.

Egg freezing, meanwhile, should not be viewed as a guarantee of future motherhood. Women have a finite number of eggs, and both egg quantity and quality decline with age, particularly through the 30s.

Egg freezing can preserve some eggs for possible future use, but outcomes depend on the woman’s age when the eggs are frozen, the number retrieved, survival after thawing, fertilisation and embryo development.

Hormonal changes

Perimenopause can also be confusing because hormonal changes are unpredictable. Unlike puberty, when reproductive hormones rise, ovarian hormone production during perimenopause fluctuates before eventually declining.

Women may experience hot flushes, poor sleep, brain fog, irritability, palpitations, irregular or heavy periods, reduced libido and fatigue, sometimes while still having regular periods.

Dr Okemo also dismisses the myth that underwire bras cause breast cancer. An uncomfortable bra can cause pressure, irritation or chafing, but it does not cause cancer. Breast health is influenced by factors including age, family history, genetic risk, alcohol consumption, body weight, physical activity and reproductive and hormonal factors.

Sleep is another often-overlooked factor. Poor sleep affects concentration, memory, mood, appetite, energy, glucose regulation and cardiovascular health. Pregnancy, postpartum recovery and perimenopause can all interfere with sleep.

Bone health also deserves attention around menopause because declining oestrogen accelerates bone loss. Adequate calcium and vitamin D, weight-bearing and resistance exercise, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol and assessing fracture and fall risks can help protect bone health.

Postpartum rage and “mummy brain” are also real experiences. Anger, irritability and feeling overwhelmed can occur alongside postpartum depression or anxiety, while forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating may result from hormonal changes, brain adaptation, exhaustion and the demands of caring for a newborn.

Severe anger, hopelessness, extreme anxiety, thoughts of self-harm or harming the baby, hallucinations or confusion require urgent medical assessment.

The central message, Dr Okemo says, is simple: women should understand their bodies without allowing social media myths to dictate their health decisions.

“Not everything unusual is dangerous. Not everything normal needs to be fixed.”

Women should know their normal patterns and seek professional advice whenever something changes or feels wrong.