Vaginal Douche
(Douching)

Disease Prevention in Women Slideshow

• What is douching?
• Why do women douche?
• How common is douching?
• Is douching safe?
• What are the dangers linked to douching?
• Should I douche to clean inside my vagina?
• What is the best way to clean my vagina?
• My vagina has a terrible odor, can douching help?
• Should I douche to get rid of vaginal discharge, pain, itching, or burning?
• Can douching after sex prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
• Can douching after sex stop me from getting pregnant?
• Can douching hurt my chances of having a healthy pregnancy?

What is douching?

The word "douche" means to wash or soak in French. Douching is washing or cleaning out the vagina (also called the birth canal) with water or other mixtures of fluids. Usually douches are prepackaged mixes of water and vinegar, baking soda, or iodine. Women can buy these products at drug and grocery stores. The mixtures usually come in a bottle and can be squirted into the vagina through a tube or nozzle.

Why do women douche?

Women douche because they mistakenly believe it gives many benefits. In reality, douching may do more harm than good. Common reasons women give for using douches include:

• to clean the vagina
• to rinse away blood after monthly periods
• to get rid of odors from the vagina
• to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• to prevent pregnancy

How common is douching?

Douching is common among women in the United States. It is estimated that 20% to 40% of American women aged 15 to 44 years douche regularly. About half of these women douche every week.

Is douching safe?

Most doctors and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggest that women steer clear of douching. All healthy vaginas contain some bacteria and other organisms called the vaginal flora. The normal acidity of the vagina keeps the amount of bacteria down. But douching can change this delicate balance. This may make a woman more prone to vaginal infections. Plus, douching can spread existing vaginal infections up into the uterus, Fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

What are the dangers linked to douching?

Research shows that women who douche regularly have more health problems than women who do not. Doctors are still unsure whether douching causes these problems. Douching may simply be more common in groups of women who tend to have these issues. Health problems linked to douching include:

• vaginal irritation,
• vaginal infections called bacterial vaginosis or BV,
• sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and
• pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of a woman's uterus, Fallopian tubes and/or ovaries. It is caused by bacteria that travel from a woman's vagina and cervix up into her reproductive organs. If left untreated, PID can cause fertility problems (difficulties getting pregnant). PID also boosts a woman's chances of ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy in the Fallopian tube instead of the uterus). Some STDs, BV, and PID can all lead to serious problems during pregnancy. These include infection in the baby, problems with labor, and early delivery.