Contrary to beliefs, Staphylococcus aureus is not a sexually transmitted infection but vital for every woman’s private part, a medical doctor said on Monday.

“A certain amount of it should be there for that place to function well,’’ Dr Tochukwu Egwuonwu told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

Egwuonwu, who works with the Samaria Hospital, Ago, Lagos State, said that staphylococcus aureus was a bacterium found in human body.

“Some bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus is found everywhere in the human body. It will be good for people to know that; especially women.

“That it is everywhere is not the issue; it is when in a particular organ or in the body in an amount harmful to the body that it becomes an issue,’’ Egwuonwu said.

The doctor said , the bacterium helped to balance the private part’s potential of hydrogen (ph).

“Once it is not balanced, that area will be infected,’’ she said.

According to the doctor, there are different species of staphylococcus.

“The one that readily comes to people’s mind, maybe, because of the way it is advertised is staphylococcus aureus,’’ she told NAN.

She urged couples desiring to conceive to disregard jingles in public places announcing that staphylococcus aureus was the reason they could not conceive.

“There is nothing wrong to say that one has grown staph; it depends on the quantity; it might just be normal and nothing to worry about.’’

Egwuonwu regretted that some couples had resorted to consulting unqualified laboratory scientists to carry out fertility test on them and effect treatment.

“The danger in patronising quacks is enormous.’’

She advised women against using `strong’ soaps to clean their private parts.

“Doing so will alter the ph balance of that vital area of the body.’’

According to Egwuonwu, the ideal soap to use for cleaning the private part is a mild one.

She said that ordinary water was also ideal for the cleaning.