Your vagina could be telling you who not to date, here's how

The last thing that anyone wants after a steamy night with a new partner is to wake up to a stinging sensation down there.

Whilst for most of us how the mind might immediately jump to the question of what STI could be causing this burning, there might be another potential cause: your new partner's genital microbiome!

So, what is a genital microbiome, and why might it be useful in determining your next long-term partner?

What is a genital microbiome?

The genitals, especially the vagina, are host to a delicate balance of naturally occurring bacteria and fungi. Whilst the symbiotic relationship between you and these microbes largely goes unnoticed, unfortunately, disruption to your genital microbiome can come with some nasty consequences!

What does the genital microbiome have to do with sex?

The vaginal microbiome can become easily become unbalanced, causing an overgrowth of either fungi or bacteria, which leads to yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis (BV). Penetrative sex, especially if unprotected, is a great way to disrupt your genitals' ecosystem as you and your partner mix oral and genital microbes. This can introduce new pathogens into your vaginal microbiome, which have the potential to cause infections.

So, if you find yourself constantly suffering after having sex with your new sweetie, should you break up?

The science behind vagina-led dating

For some people, the answer might be yes! Some people take their body’s response to a new partner as a sign of physiological compatibility or incompatibility. This is the belief that our body is compatible with someone else’s body on a cellular level.

You might be thinking that this sounds crazy, but research suggests that humans are able to detect physiological compatibility through our sense of smell and that it's linked with the theory of pheromones (which is why we are often attracted to our partner's body odour).

But does this mean that you need to throw out your current relationship if things down under are going south?

In short, probably not. Whilst a new sexual partner can throw your vaginal microbiome out of whack, this is a very common side-effect of sex and it is probably not totally dependent on your partner's microbiome. So while it is important to listen to your body, and seek out medical advice if you notice any unusual changes to your genitals, we don't think your vagina will be picking out your next partner any time soon!

Sources used:

Cosmopolitan: 'Can Your Vagina Determine How Compatible You Are With a New Partner?'

Frontiers Inc: 'The Female Vaginal Microbiome in Health and Bacterial Vaginosis'