In this Article

• 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?
• Vaginal Douche (Douching) Index

Can douching after sex prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)?

No. This is a myth. The only way to completely prevent STDs is to not have sex. But practicing safer sex will dramatically decrease your risk of getting these diseases. You can greatly reduce your chances of getting an STD in the following ways:

• using latex condoms or female condoms every time you have sex
• avoiding contact with sores on the penis or vagina
• preventing the exchange of semen, blood, and vaginal secretions

Can douching after sex stop me from getting pregnant?

No. Douching does not prevent pregnancy and should never be used as a means of birth control. Actually, douching may make it easier to get pregnant by pushing the sperm further up into the vagina and cervix.

Can douching hurt my chances of having a healthy pregnancy?

It may. Limited research shows that douching may make it more difficult for a woman 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 boost a woman's chance of ectopic 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 difficult for a woman to get pregnant in the future.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Suggested Reading by Our Doctors

• Natural Methods of Birth Control - Natural methods of birth control are non-mechanical and non-hormonal. They are also considered fertility awareness methods and there are a variety of choices for natural birth control.
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI In Adults) - Learn about urinary tract infection causes, symptoms, signs, diagnosis and treatment of UTIs in men and women. Antibiotics may be used to treat recurrent bladder infections.
• LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure) - Learn about Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), a procedure done to remove abnormal tissues of the cervix. LEEP is used to treat mild to moderate dysplasia.

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