What We Are Supposed To Do Before Having Sex???!!

In the media and advertising industries’ seemingly never ending campaign to make us insecure about the state of our vaginas, a slew of new ads suggest that before sex, we all need freshening wipes–even dudes (but maybe not as much nor as often).

The ads are for Playtex Fresh and Sexy wipes, because, you know, nothing is sexier than making you scared of your own privates, and nothing is fresher than the stale notion that there’s something inherently wrong with you down there that you need to fix with the help of something likely designed and devised by men. That’s a totally new, novel, attractive idea, right? Right?

The wipes are designed for use before sex and after sex, because they want you to think you and the guy or girl you’re with are gross without a little help. The messages are designed to say that “In order to be sexually desirable, women need to be clean where it counts.”

The vagina is actually a self-cleansing organ, and gynecologists warn against using feminine hygiene products designed to “freshen” you down there before sex. Wipes and douches (as in the actual products, not the jerky guys you avoid) are bad for you because they can mess with your body’s natural pH and actually lead to infections–which will make you have a legit problem down there that you didn’t before.

It’s totally normal to want to freshen up before sex, but you shouldn’t feel pressured into it by anything or anyone, especially not by strangers trying to sell you something. The best way to make sure you’re in tip-top shape before sex is just to shower with regular old soap and water. If you don’t have wipes or perfumes or weird chemicals to clean up down there, it doesn’t mean you’re not sexy or that you’re not prepared–it means that you’re actually pretty smart and safe.

And be careful if you shave down there before sex, too!