Can douching after sex prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?
Can douching after sex prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
No. It's a myth that douching after sex can prevent STIs. The only sure way
to prevent STIs is to not have sex. If you do have sex, the best way to prevent
STIs is to practice safer sex:
Be faithful. Have sex with only 1 partner who has been tested for STIs and
is not infected.
Use latex or female condoms every time you have sex.
Avoid contact with semen, blood, vaginal fluids, and sores on your
partner's genitals.
Can douching after sex stop me from getting
pregnant?
No. Douching does not prevent pregnancy. It should never be used for
birth
control.
Can douching hurt my chances of having a healthy pregnancy?
Douching may affect your chances of having a
healthy pregnancy. Limited
research shows that douching may make it harder for you to get pregnant. In
women trying to get pregnant, those who douched more than once a week took the
longest to get pregnant.
Studies also show that douching may increase a woman's chance of damaged
fallopian tubes and ectopic (ek-TOP-ik) pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is when the
fertilized egg attaches to the inside of the fallopian tube instead of the
uterus. If left untreated, ectopic pregnancy can be life threatening. It can
also make it hard for a woman to get pregnant in the future.
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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