Research shows that women who douche regularly have more health problems than
women who don't. 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:
Some STIs, BV, and PID can all lead to serious problems during pregnancy.
These include infection in the baby, problems with labor, and early delivery.
Should I douche to clean inside my vagina?
No. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests women
avoid douching completely. In most cases the vagina's acidic environment
"cleans" the vagina. If there is a strong odor or irritation it usually means
something is wrong. Douching can increase your chances of infection. The only
time you should douche is when your doctor tells you to.
What is the best way to clean my vagina?
Most doctors say it's best to let your vagina clean itself. The vagina cleans
itself naturally by making mucous. The mucous washes away blood, semen, and
vaginal discharge. You should know that even healthy, clean vaginas may have a
mild odor.
Keep the outside of your vagina clean and healthy by washing regularly with
warm water and mild soap when you bathe. You should also avoid scented tampons,
pads, powders, and sprays. These products may increase your chances of getting a
vaginal infection.
Should I douche to get rid of vaginal discharge, pain, itching, or burning?
No. You should never douche to try to get rid of vaginal odor, discharge,
pain,
itching, or burning. Douching will only cover up odor and make other
problems worse. It's very important to call your doctor right away if you have:
Vaginal discharge that smells bad
Thick, white, or yellowish-green discharge with or without an odor
Burning, redness, and swelling in or around the vagina
Pain when urinating
Pain or discomfort during sex
These may be signs of an infection, especially one that may be sexually
transmitted. Do not douche before seeing your doctor. This can make it hard for
the doctor to figure out what's wrong.
Yeast vaginitis is a yeast infection of the vagina. Symptoms include itching, burning, soreness, pain during intercourse and urination, and vaginal discharge. Yeast infections can be treated with over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection of the kidney, ureter, bladder, and/or urethra. Not
everyone with a UTI has symptoms. Common symptoms include a frequent urge to
urinate and a painful, burning when urinating.
Bacterial vaginosis is an abnormal vaginal condition that is characterized by vaginal discharge resulting from an overgrowth of normal bacteria in the vagina. Although it may cause some disturbing symptoms (discharge and odor), it is not dangerous and cannot be passed by sex. Diagnosis becomes important to exclude serious infections like gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Many treatment options are available such as oral antibiotics and vaginal gels.
An ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy located outside the inner lining of the uterus. The majority of ectopic pregnancies occur in the Fallopian tube. Symptoms include abdominal pain, amenorrhea, and vaginal bleeding. Treatment options include observation, medication, or surgery.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs,
are infections that are transmitted during any type of sexual exposure,
including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and the sharing of sexual
devices, such as vibrators. Women can contract all of the STDs, but may have no symptoms, or have different symptoms than men do.
Normal vaginal bleeding (menorrhea) occurs through the process of menstruation. Abnormal vaginal bleeding in women who are ovulating regularly most commonly involves excessive, frequent, irregular, or decreased bleeding. Causes of abnormal may arise from a variety of conditions.
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the most common and serious complication of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), aside from AIDS, among women. The signs and symptoms of pelvic inflammatory disease include: fever, vaginal discharge with a foul odor, abdominal pain, including pain during intercourse, and irregular vaginal bleeding. Pelvic inflammatory disease can scar the Fallopian tubes, ovaries, and related structures and lead to ectopic pregnancies, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and other serious consequences. Pelvic inflammatory disease treatment includes several types of antibiotics.
Vaginitis is any type of vaginal infection or inflammation. The six most common types of vaginitis are Candida (yeast infections), bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis vaginitis, chlamydia vaginitis, viral vaginitis, and noninfectious vaginitis. Symptoms include itching, burning, and abnormal vaginal discharge. Treatment is different for each type of vaginitis.
Infertility is the diminished ability to conceive a child. The primary cause of infertility in men is a sperm disorder. In women, the primary cause of infertility is an ovulation disorder. Most forms of infertility can be treated. Conventional infertility therapies include drugs or surgery.
Pregnancy planning is important to help prevent exposure of the mother and fetus to potentially harmful medications and substances during the early days, and throughout the pregnancy. Nutritional planning, prevention of birth defects, conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease need careful monitoring. Gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and pregnancy induced hypertension are conditions that may arise during pregnancy. Immunizations, inherited disorders, exercise, air travel, intercourse, and birth control are important factors to consider when planning a pregnancy.
There are a number of different methods of birth control to include: barrier methods, IUDs, hormonal methods, natural methods, and surgical sterilization. Birth control methods can be reversible or permanent. In simple terms, all methods of birth control are based on either preventing a man's sperm from reaching and entering a woman's egg (fertilization) or preventing the fertilized egg from implanting in the woman's uterus (her womb) and starting to grow.
When you are pregnant, many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be especially harmful to you and your baby. These STDs include herpes, HIV/AIDS, genital warts (HPV), hepatitis B, chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. Symptoms include bumps, sores, warts, swelling, itching, or redness in the genital region. Treatment of STDs while pregnant depends on how far along you are in the pregnancy and the progression of the infection.
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