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Let Your Vagina Breathe, Says Science

How not to piss off your nether regions.

Julia Reinstein
by Julia Reinstein

BuzzFeed Staff

1. Not wearing underwear is actually pretty great for your vagina (and also the rest of your vulva), especially if you're a bit ~sensitive~.

2. In fact, you can totally ride the subway and go in public without wearing underwear, as long as you're not bare ass naked from the waist down.

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"As far as STDs and all, I don't think you're going to get anything along those lines if you still have a barrier of clothing between you and whatever surface may be harboring infection," Dweck says.

3. THAT said, going without underwear might mean you destroy a few pairs of pants by accident.

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"A lot of women will notice—and rightfully so—that their vaginal secretions change throughout their cycle," said Dweck. "So, some women can go commando for the first two weeks of their cycle but then once they ovulate the secretions are a little bit heavier and they'd rather wear something for protection."

This can be even trickier if you don't know when your period is coming. "If you have irregular periods or you're not exactly sure when you're going to get your period, you do run the risk of staining."

4. And also it's better to wear undies if you really love skinny jeans.

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Super tight pants can chafe. No one wants a chafed vulva.

5. And probably when you work out, too.

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"Spandex doesn't allow for any breathing, and certain athletic wear will have a seam right in the crotch area that could be irritating if you're not wearing something in between," says Dweck.

6. If you're not comfortable going commando in public, maybe try it out at bedtime.

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"For patients that are having a really rough time with constant irritation, yeast infections, et cetera, I often will advise them to at least consider going commando at night when they're sleeping so that the vagina and the vulva have time to really air out and be open to circulation," Dweck says.

7. If you're Team Underwear, make sure the fabric is breathable.

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"Think cotton," says Dweck. "Particularly a cotton crotch." (Get these cute 95% cotton panties here.)

8. Thongs are actually not the worst!

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"As far as thongs, I think they get kind of a bad reputation. Most people who wear them are perfectly happy with them, and if they're cotton, even better. But if you have a G-string thong and it's particularly tight, it can potentially drag bacteria from the rectal area to the vagina, and that can cause potential for infection."

9. But really, you should just do whatever feels best for you and your vulva. <3