This is one of those squeamish topics people don't like to talk about. But unless you actually like the idea of preterm babies, high-risk pregnancies, and serious infections, you should start to talk. Or at least listen to some nurses' advice, especially if you're a woman. Those three health risks come along with regular douching of the vagina, an unnecessary–yet very common–practice. According to the January issue of the American Journal of Nursing, this is simply something you don't need to do. What's worse is that doing it can harm you.
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Browse any drugstore and you'll find lots of douche products, advertised to clean the vagina and boasting features like "fresh scent" and "baby powder fresh." Lots of women use them regularly: 27 percent overall, according to one national survey, and an even higher number–37 percent–among women ages 15 to 44, according to the federal National Women's Health Information Center. Those who don't buy drugstore products use homemade preparations, often containing vinegar or other harsh solutions. Women do this, they say, so they can feel clean for themselves or for their intimate partners, notes Mary Ann Iannachione, a clinical research nurse at Duke University Medical Center.
Iannachione, author of the nursing journal article, points out that the vagina is self-cleaning, with a natural balance of body chemistry that kills off harmful germs. Odors? Most vaginal secretions are odorless. The best way to keep the area clean is to wash the outside of the vagina with warm water and soap.
Douching can do just the opposite of what women desire. It vastly increases the chances of bacterial vaginosis, an infection that actually does cause an unpleasant odor. The bacteria may make their way into the uterus, increasing the chances of preterm delivery if you get pregnant. Then there's pelvic inflammatory disease, another bacterial infection that often leads to infertility. The disease is twice as common among women who douche as it is in women who don't, according to one study. (Commercial douche products now carry warning labels about this risk.) Sexually transmitted disease rates are higher among women who douche.
This isn't one of those tricky health problems where the costs and benefits are tough to figure out. Save yourself some money, and save yourself from some serious health risks. Don't be sucked in by fancy advertising campaigns or by old wives' tales, and buy some simple soap.
