Don't Wear Tight Clothes After Having Sex. Here's Why

When it comes to sex, there are many dos and don'ts, especially when it comes to your sexual health. While peeing after sex in order to avoid a UTI is a widely-known rule, a lesser-known rule is that you should also steer clear of tight clothing, such as tight jeans and leggings. 

Yep, according to Dr. Carolyn DeLucia, an OB-GYN and adviser to Remedy Review, when you have sex, "... there is [usually] an excess of bodily fluids and the friction spreads the bacteria around." Speaking to INSIDER, she stressed the importance of allowing "free drainage and air," so that your body can clean itself naturally. Forgetting to do so could lead to thrush, yeast infections, and more. 

In fact, wearing tight pants in general life is often be the cause of many vaginal problems. "Some women have more sensitivity," Tami Rowen, M.D., an OB-GYN at UCSF Medical Center specializing in sexual health concerns, told SELF. "Tight pants rubbing and putting pressure [on the vulva] can cause irritation." And that's just the beginning.

"Wearing tight or synthetic clothing, such as leggings, skinny jeans, gym clothing, and swimming costumes, can create an environment where problems like thrush are much more likely to develop," Dr. Shirin Lakhani, an aesthetic physician based in the UK, told The Sun. Nurse practitioner Lisa Stern agreed, warning Bustle, "The suffering of sad, tightly-clothed vaginas need to be brought to light."

Naming the act, 'tight pants syndrome' (TPS for short), she listed, "vaginal discharge (usually white, sometimes yellow, generally thick), pelvic pain, vaginal itching, and sometimes perineal or perianal (sorry, had to say it) itching," as common symptoms. Sounds like it's time to say goodbye to your skinny jeans, whether you're having sex or not!

But don't fret. Giving up tight clothes and looking after your nether region is easier than you think — simply follow gynecologist Dr. Anne Henderson's guidance, who told The Sun, "Wear loose clothing, wash the vagina with just water, make sure it's dry after and try and wear loose underwear."