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Dear Aunt Vadge,
What time is vag o’clock? Also, where are you getting all of your information?
OK, on a serious note. Today I took an unfortunate bike ride that ended in my vulva slamming into the crossbar when the brakes stopped working and I found myself hurtling into an intersection. There was no other way to slow down other than flinging my body weight into the pavement, and unfortunately all the impact landed on my labia.
Needless to say, there was a lot of blood. At first my friends thought I broke my hymen, but on closer inspection it is clear there is a cut on the right side of my inner labia. How should I take care of this? Should I see a doctor?
Help, Aunt Vadge!
Love, Biked
Hi there Biked,
Your accident sounds really painful, and messy. It is good you have friends who have had a careful look, because with a trauma like this a bit of self-assessment matters – so here are my thoughts.
Blunt-force trauma to the flesh can be more serious than it looks, because there can be damage you cannot see. Luckily, with a crossbar your pubic bone and sit-bones tend to shield the inside of the vagina, so the damage is usually kept to the fleshy outer parts – and it sounds like your labia took the brunt of it.
Go to an emergency department and get looked at (and possibly stitched) if any of these apply:
- the cut is deep, or won’t stop bleeding;
- it is very painful;
- there are flaps of tissue coming away, or the labia looks like it could separate;
- you feel unsure or unwell about it in any way.
If the cut is shallow or small, you can usually manage it at home with good wound care (below). Even so, if it is easy for you to be seen, do it – a free sexual health clinic is a great option if cost is a worry; they look at vulvas all day and can tell you quickly whether you need anything more. The genital area usually heals fast and well without much scarring, but what you want to avoid is permanent scarring, loss of sensation, or an infection.
Home wound care:
- Keep it clean – gently wash in warm water once a day. Don’t rub or irritate it. Pat dry with a soft towel.
- When you wee, rinsing with warm water afterwards (or weeing in the shower) helps stop the acidic urine stinging the cut. Pulling the labia gently clear of the stream can help too.
- Wear loose clothing – skirts, dresses, loose trousers, whatever keeps pressure off.
- If your period is due, skip tampons and cups (they will hurt to insert) and use pads, changed often. Keep up gentle washing.
- Leave it alone as much as you can. Cuts re-open easily if you move the wrong way, so be slow and gentle, and no bikes for now.
- Your inner labia are raw flesh, a bit like the inside of your mouth, so they will largely heal themselves – you don’t need to pile on creams and potions.
Keeping infection out is the main job. It helps to keep your body topped up with good bacteria – some fermented foods like a refrigerated probiotic, homemade yoghurt, kefir, kombucha or homemade sauerkraut. Just eat them, don’t put anything in the vagina. A moisturising, genital-friendly cuts cream can also help a minor cut along.
If you see any sign of infection – the labia becoming swollen, hot, increasingly painful, or a discharge developing – get seen promptly rather than waiting it out. Where your vulva is concerned, it is better to be checked and reassured than to sit on it.
Write back anytime.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
- Jones IS, O’Connor A. Non-obstetric vulval trauma. Emergency Medicine Australasia. 2013;25(1):36–39.
