Itchy private parts: Does aloe vera offer lasting relief?

Q Dear Doctor,
I have a friend aged 17. She told me her private parts really itch. Her discharge is sometimes white and sometimes colourless, but not smelly. She was advised to boil aloe vera leaves and use the water to clean her private parts. Does this really help?

Anita

A Dear Anita,
Was the advice from a health professional? If not, avoid advice from non-health professionals. It could have negative impact on your health. I have not heard of aloe vera being used in such cases. Alternative medicine practitioners regularly make claims regarding the therapeutic properties of aloe vera. But scientific evidence concerning its benefi ts is limited.

Normal vaginal fl uid is ideally a viscous painless whitish fluid relatively comparable to the albumen of a raw egg. Any other fluid or discharge whose colour ranges from a whitish milky discharge to yellow, green or puslike, depending on the cause, is abnormal and usually associated with either itching of the genitalia or pain that might radiate to the lower abdomen. In most cases it is characterised by a foul smell.

Also, chemical irritants such as detergents, fabric softeners, feminine sprays, ointments, creams, douches, and contraceptives and stress, among others, may increase vaginal itching and make you more susceptible to infections. Let your friend see a gynaecologist for proper examination.