Vaginal douching: nay or yay?
I’m curious to know. How do over-the-counter products like Summer’s Eve Douche continue to sell given the amount of bad press associated with douching? I still see this product selling in the pharmacy, along with a few other brands focusing on feminine hygiene.
Douching, for those who do not know, is the process of cleansing or rinsing the vaginal with a prepackaged mix of fluids. It is actually forcing water or solution into the vaginal cavity to flush away vaginal discharge or other contents. Most of the vaginal douches are made in a variety of fragrances.
Why squeaky clean isn’t a good idea
Unlike the rest of our body, squeaky clean doesn’t quite apply to our vaginal. In normal women, vaginal secretions contain bacteria which help to protect us from thrush and other infections. Hence, douching to remove these is potentially harmful. In fact, many health care professionals state that douching is dangerous, as it interferes with with both the vagina’s normal self-cleaning and the natural bacterial culture of the vagina, and it might spread or introduce infections.
Why douching is dangerous
Frequent douching with water may result in an imbalance of the pH of the vagina, and thus may put women at risk for possible vaginal infections, especially yeast infections. Products used can be irritants and sometimes contain chemicals which can cause allergies. In fact, antiseptics may also result in an imbalance of the natural bacteria in the vagina, also resulting in an increased likelihood of infection. Furthermore, unclean douching equipment may also introduce undesirable foreign bodies into the vagina. I even read that douching may also wash bacteria into the uterus and Fallopian tubes, causing fertility problems.
Why feminine wash & sprays are not encouraged
Actually when I was younger, I’ve tried douching before, in an effort to keep myself feeling fresh. It was effective so long as you keep at it frequently. But I stopped after learning about the potential harms. As a matter of fact, I also found out that it’s not a good thing to use feminine wash, sprays and deodorants either because they are often heavily perfumed and, like douching, can lead to allergic reactions, irritation, and infections.
So bottom line is, your vagina has its own natural cleaning system that flushes out bacteria and you don’t need to add any chemicals to help it. And always seek professional help when in doubt.
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Are these sold in Singapore too? I too remember reading a few articles in various health magazines about the harmful effects of douching and I agree that we should steer clear of douching products. These days, many people don’t trust the press. I guess that’s why these products are still popular.
Lydia: Yes they are. I’ve tried this brand before too.
For some reason this was like the popular thing to use in high school/college, it showed that you were becoming a grown lady, whatever the heck that means LOL! My gyno warned me of not using that, she even stated to never ever use soap down in that area either because it strips natural bacteria and the moisture barrier. So plain water would get it clean. If you want to appeal to hubby for nice smell, you can use a natural musk on a tissue and gently wipe down there.
cowsandlemonade: I didn’t know it was popular in high school and college. I used it around that age because of a terrible itch then. I didn’t know better at that age.
No soap? I can’t! I need that badly!
Definitely nay. It messes up with the system. The vagina is naturally self-cleansing anyway. Of course a girl’s still gotta keep the area clean ?
Tine: ?