The only thing a woman can say for certain about her vagina is that it is drenched in mystery. And with this mystery comes a bounty of myths. One myth marring
woman’s body is concept that her vagina is a filthy pit. Frequent marketing of feminine douches does nothing to arrest this myth. But is vagina dirty and should a woman douche?A substantial body of medical evidence makes a clear case that douching is not necessary and in some cases unhealthy.
Researchers from University of Pittsburgh led by Dr. Roberta Ness discovered that most women are introduced to concept of douching by their mothers, sisters, or girlfriends. Yet this well-intentioned sisterly advice has left too many women misinformed about their vaginal health. For instance, a study at University of Alabama at Birmingham asked 729 women why they douched. Twenty-one percent of participants said that they believed douching killed infectious germs, while 27% believed that douching prevented pregnancy. Neither assumption is true.
As writer Mary Ann Innacchinoe explains in an “American Journal of Nursing” article, vagina contains, lactobacilli, "good", aerobic bacteria that cleanse vagina and protect it from infection. Lactobacilli release hydrogen peroxide, a natural disinfectant. The presence of hydrogen peroxide helps keep potentially harmful anaerobic bacteria in balance.
Ironically, some women view menstruation as a time when vagina most needs a douche. After menstruation, vaginal mucus returns to its thicker, characteristically non-fertile state, which makes it more difficult for pathogens to enter and infect vagina. Douching could wash this protective coating away and invite vaginal bacterial imbalances and infections. For example, a 2004 study published in medical journal “Sexually Transmitted Diseases” linked douching after menses with an increased risk of bacterial vaginosis.
Bacterial vaginosis, or an excess of harmful bacteria in vagina, is one of most common reasons women visit their gynecologist. Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include a gray or frothy vaginal discharge, a “fishy” odor after intercourse, vaginal itching and a vaginal pH greater than 4.5.
While douching can provoke bacterial vaginosis, it may also encourage herpes virus. In 2003, researchers from Magee-Womens Research Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania questioned why women are more susceptible to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection than men. After examining 1207 women aged 18 to 30 from three Pittsburgh health clinics, investigators noted that women who douche, smoke, have sex with uncircumcised partners, or have bacterial vaginosis are at greater risk for contracting an HSV-2 infection.
