Personal Hygiene (including looking after my private parts)

Talking about Personal Hygiene (including looking after my private parts)

Young people are likely to be independent with the daily tasks of personal hygiene – although they might still need reminders and help. If your child needs specific help, you will know what that is and you and they can use some of the suggested conversation starters and resources that work for you.

An occasional reminder of what we mean when we talk about personal hygiene might help. Also, a reminder that some things are daily, some regular. There might be some discussion about what level of independence or privacy they want with managing laundry/bedding.

What is personal hygiene? Hygiene is about keeping clean so that you can keep healthy. So, what do you need to do every day? Or regularly? What do you like to do on your own? Anything you like to get some help with?

Hygiene and genitals (private parts)

Becoming independent means understanding the important matter of establishing some good routines for the care of the genitals. Here are some reminders and tips you can give.

For young women:
You should be quite gentle when you wash around your vulva, don’t scrub.
Don’t use very hot water.
Try not to use shower gel, shampoo or bubble bath to wash that area of your body.
When you dry yourself, just pat gently.
If your underwear becomes wet with sweat or other fluids change your underwear.
If you are ever uncomfortable or itchy please tell me and I can help.

For young men:
Wash around your penis gently, using the soap/shower gel you use.
Don’t use very hot water.
Rinse off the soapiness from your penis and scrotum/testicles.
When you dry yourself, just pat gently.
If you are ever uncomfortable or itchy please tell me and I can help.

For young men with foreskin:
If you foreskin comes back gently then you can wash there, but don’t be rough and pull it back. It will come back over the head of your penis once you have cleaned and rinsed it. If you have any problems with the foreskin coming back talk to me – don’t be embarrassed.

Safety and public toilets

Young people will be out with friends in public spaces. Although they will feel very independent there are still some useful reminders about personal safety when they are out and about. You can remind them that if they go to a toilet in a public place like a café, pub, cinema, library or shopping mall a safety tip would be going with a friend.