COVID and COMMANDO

Covid-19 has sure been a whirlwind of a virus, leading to massive changes across the entire planet, some of these changes will be here to stay. But what, my friends, does Covid have to do with Commando? Well, first lets explain why the term commando means what it means.

During the Vietnam War in the 1970’s, “going commando” was a slang term used in college campuses across the America and meant going without any underwear. This was because during the war, soldiers spent extended periods of time in the hot, wet environment of the jungle. Wearing briefs could lead to crotch rot, a term used for fungal infections of the buttocks, genitals and inner thighs. Treatment for this was talc, and ventilation. Troops were not really able to wash their briefs, nor did they have much room to be carrying around changes of underwear, so they just ditched them…..and got better ventilation in the process. The term was made more popular by the sitcom Friends in 1996.

Now, what does commando have to do with Covid? Well, let me FIRST tell you some background information. I have literally spent my entire life in the battle to find the perfect fitting underwear. Perfect for me meant super comfortable, seamless in fitted clothes, non binding, not too tight on the thighs, not too tight on the waist, doesn’t cause chafing, doesn’t fall down and doesn’t ride up and give me a wedgie when I walk. PLUS, I have sensitive skin in my nether regions, and thongs are just NOT AN OPTION (chafing like crazy)!!! And guess what folks, until about 2 years ago, I could NOT find the perfect underwear, and suffered through countless brands over many years….until I found the laser cut seamless underwear at Victoria’s Secret. These undies were great…..mostly. They fit super great when they were new, had absolutely no seams and were not tight anywhere. BUT, as they stretched a little bit with use, they did start to do the riding up and causing a wedgie maneuver. AND, after a few months, they would all start to get this weird slice of a tear in THE SAME EXACT SPOT, almost like someone slit it with a knife. I was OK with the downsides, and was willing to simply replace them every few months as necessary.

NOW, this is where Covid comes in. When the virus hit the US and things started shutting down in March, my batch of undies were at the end of their life expectancy of a few months. Underwear was not something I wanted to think about, but I had to! To my horror, Victoria’s Secret was shut down, and I could not for the life of me find these underwear in their online store! With all the stress of the virus surrounding me, the last thing I needed was my undies giving me a constant wedgie! Stores shut down, my gym shut down, my kids school shut down….life shut down, we all thought we were going to die, and I was NOT in the mindset to try to search out some underwear online or just grab some awful brand from Walmart. Plus, online orders went through the roof and EVERYTHING was backed up as people hoarded toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

So, on one fateful day, while I was down in the dumps sitting locked in my house, wondering what on earth was going to happen with our lives, and as I was pulling out a wedgie made by my undies that now have a perfect little tear in just the wrong spot I said “screw it, the undies are just going to have to go!” I literally marched to the bathroom, took them off, and threw them in the trash in a little fit of anger. I did not want to go commando, and thought it was just weird to do it, but I could not take the creeping underwear any longer. Folks, Covid forced me to go commando.

So what happened? Well, the first week was indeed a little weird. I mean, you feel, well, you feel naked. But as the week went on, as stress of the virus was hitting pretty much every human on earth, I had just one less thing to worry about….I had no wedgies to deal with! As I got into week 2, I really was able to not even think about it. I worried that wearing jeans might be uncomfortable, but I was surprised that they felt just fine. As time went on, my lady parts just felt, well, they just felt better, and healthier. And I had just a little bit less laundry.

Now for some TMI information. Why did my lady bits feel healthier? What are the health benefits of going commando? My gynecologist has suggested commando in the past, and here is why.

1. Air can flow freely. Going commando lets the lady parts spend some time away from underwear fabric, which can irritate the delicate skin and cause injury. Underwear, especially those made of synthetic fabric, prevent air from flowing.

2. Bad bacteria are less likely to migrate from the anal area to the lady bits when you go commando. This can happen with underwear even after you shower ladies. Underwear are pretty much the golden gate bridge for bacteria. Thongs are actually the worst offenders in this department, so you are better off going commando if you are trying to minimize panty lines.

3. Your lady bits can breathe at night. If you don’t quite want to dive into your day sans underwear, and least give it a try at home while you are sleeping. This gives your lady parts at least some time to breathe freely.

4. Less chance of yeast infections and other fungal infections. Underwear can cause moisture retention which can cause yeast and fungal infections. Remember why it’s called commando in the first place “soldiers and crotch rot”. Going commando can also help clear up these fungal infections.

5. Less dampness and chafing during exercise. Your undies trap sweat and moisture during the day, imagine what is happening while you exercise! Going commando allows more air flow, and can keep things drier. Plus, the extra fabric of the underwear can cause chafing because of more friction between the fabric of the underwear and the skin. Just make sure you squat test your leggings to avoid giving everyone a show.

6. It can minimize overall dampness. If your lady bits are extra damp, going commando may seem horrifying to you. But, the truth is, going commando allows the area to stay drier, especially if you wear a dress or loose fitting or thin pants. Believe it or not, going commando actually helps solve the problem of “extra dampness”, contrary to what you may believe. It’s like magic! Less heat and more ventilation means the lady parts have less sweat and are less triggered to produce discharge. And less dampness can be helpful if you are prone to urinary tract infections.

7. With less dampness, there is less odor. Sweat and dampness are allowed to evaporate when you go commando, and because of this odor is kept to a minimum.

7. You will be way more comfortable. Without tight bands and underwear riding up into a wedgie, you will just have one less thing to bother you. If your undies bunch up, or get itchy along the seams, just think about ditching them! Tight underwear can leave uncomfortable imprints on the skin, and may interfere with circulation.

8. You could get a boost in your sex life! Some people get a big kick out of going commando. Only do this if you are comfortable doing it, and don’t do it only to benefit your partner, as it will just cause you to feel awkward.

So there you go, my commando story. I have joined the millions of women who have decided to free their lady bits and be just a little bit more natural. I am not quite ready to burn my bra, but who knows what 2021 will bring! If going commando is something you want to try, I advise that you try it at least a couple weeks before you decide it’s not for you. So who is going to ditch the panties?