Table of contents:
- What is a vaginal douche?
- Why do people douche?
- The risks and dangers of vaginal douching
- 1. Bacterial vaginal infection
- 2. Pelvic inflammatory disease
- 3. Pregnancy problems
- 4. Cervical cancer
Caring for and maintaining vaginal health should not be done carelessly. Women should know very well what are the benefits and risks of each form of treatment. Then what about vaginal douching? Do you do this often or have you never heard of this method?
What is a vaginal douche?
Douching means cleaning the vagina with a liquid consisting of a mixture of various chemicals. Usually the douching liquid contains water, baking soda, vinegar, fragrance, and antiseptic. The liquid is packaged in a douche, namely a bag with a hose or spray that functions to spray fluids on the female area.
Vaginal douching tool
The douching habit was first introduced in France. The meaning of the word douching itself is taken from French, which means to wash or irrigate. Here are the douching sundries that every woman needs to understand.
ALSO READ: Various Causes of vaginal discharge and itching
Why do people douche?
Basically, you don't need to do vaginal douching. Your vagina has its own way of cleaning itself and warding off bacteria. However, approximately one in every 5 women douches. This is because douching can give suggestions as if your vagina feels cleaner and fresher. In addition, feminine cleaning fluids also usually contain fragrances so that the vagina will smell nice after douching.
The risks and dangers of vaginal douching
There is no scientific evidence regarding the benefits of douching for women's reproductive health. Douching can actually cause risks and dangers that are not worth the refreshing feeling immediately after douching. No doctor or health worker recommends vaginal douching.
ALSO READ: 5 Best Ways to Maintain Vaginal Health
In a healthy vagina, there are good bacteria and bad bacteria in balance. This bacterial balance will maintain the normal acidity level of the vagina. The female area must be acidic enough to prevent irritation and infection. The ideal conditions for the vagina will be disrupted if you do vaginal douching. Here are the four biggest risks of douching for your sex organs.
1. Bacterial vaginal infection
Douching destroys the balance of bacteria in the vagina. Douching the vagina will actually trigger the growth of bad bacteria. If the number of bad bacteria in the female area is far more than the good bacteria, you are at risk of contracting a vaginal bacterial infection. A survey conducted by the American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that women who frequently do vaginal douching (once a week) are five times more likely to develop vaginal bacterial infections than women who do not douche.
2. Pelvic inflammatory disease
If enough bad bacteria have grown in your female area, vaginal douching will actually push these bacteria into your internal organs. Bacteria can enter the vagina into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. This triggers pelvic inflammatory disease. Regular douching increases your chances of developing pelvic inflammation by up to 73%.
ALSO READ: 7 Symptoms You May Have Sexual Disease
3. Pregnancy problems
Douching can make it harder for you to get pregnant. In addition, vaginal douching also carries the risk of causing an ectopic pregnancy (the fetus grows outside the uterus). The chances are 76% if you regularly douche your vagina. This is because the ideal conditions for your reproductive system have been disrupted. Furthermore, studies have shown that women who are diligent in douching are at risk of giving birth to babies under normal weight.
ALSO READ: The Importance of Normal Weight in Newborns
4. Cervical cancer
Women who did vaginal douching more than once a week were four times more likely to develop cervical cancer (cervix). The reason is, douching can increase the risk of genital HPV infection in the vagina. HPV has been known to trigger cervical cancer.
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