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But although douching is a common practice, both the NBNA and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend against it. ACOG's position on douching is simple: "Do not douche," ACOG spokesperson Greg Phillips says. "It's better to let the vagina cleanse itself."

If, like many women, you douche to reduce vaginal odor or irritation or to cleanse your vagina after you've had sex or after your period, you may actually be causing the very things you are trying to prevent: You may make your hygiene worse or increase your chances of developing vaginal infections, contracting an STD--including HIV--or becoming infertile. Read on to learn more.

The vagina is "a self-cleansing organ," writes gynecologist Hilda Hutcherson, M.D., in her book What Your Mother Never Told You About S-e-x (Perigee; $14.95). Vaginal secretions are part of the body's natural process of keeping the vagina clean and healthy, even after you menstruate or have sex.

Each woman's vagina has a unique aroma. "The natural odor of the vagina can best be described as a pleasant musky scent," Dr. Hutcherson writes. If your discharge smells foul, is not either clear or white, or itches or burns, see a doctor, she suggests.

Douching--flushing out the vagina with water alone or a combination of water and other cleansing agents, often vinegar--is an age-old practice. Although it is commonly used to promote cleanliness, it has also been used as a birth control method and to stimulate miscarriages (for abortion).

In the United States in the 1920s and '30s, Lysol disinfectant--yes, girl, Lysol!--was marketed to married women to help them destroy feminine "germs" and "odors." Lysol and, later, Coca-Cola were also squirted up the vagina because they were believed to kill sperm. Today no woman in her right mind would put Lysol in her vagina. Instead, thousands of women douche with Massengill, Summer's Eve, or solutions or treatments they mix at home.

Yet most women don't realize that douching not only can damage their reproductive health by disrupting the elaborate "climate control" system that keeps vaginal bacteria in balance; it can also cause the very discharges, odors, and infections that women may be trying to prevent or eliminate. It can even propel bacteria and sperm into the uterus and fallopian tubes. (Note: Some women douche at the recommendation of their doctor after vaginal surgery, an episiotomy, or other reproductive medical treatment. These women should not discontinue that practice without their doctor's knowledge.)

A study published in the October 2002 issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that women who douched increased their risk of developing bacterial vaginosis (BV; it's also known as nonspecific vaginitis). Those who douched once a month increased their risk by 140 percent; women who douched once a week had a risk that was more than 200 percent higher.

Bacterial vaginosis is the most common vaginal infection among women. It creates a thin, gray or even green discharge; a foul and, some women say, fishy-smelling odor; and, in some women, burning of the vulva or upon urination.

BV also increases a woman's risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and other reproductive organs. Left untreated, PID can cause chronic pelvic pain or infertility. It can even increase the likelihood of an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, in which a fetus implants itself in the fallopian tubes instead of the uterus.

Ectopic pregnancies are more common among Black women than among the general population--many experts suspect that douching is the reason for our higher rates. Because it disrupts fragile vaginal flora (beneficial microorganisms), douching also makes a woman more vulnerable to chlamydia, gonorrhea, and even HIV!

Some women douche as a form of contraception or emergency contraception. It doesn't work. According to Our Bodies, Ourselves for the New Century (Touchstone; $24), douching is the least effective birth control method and actually pushes some sperm into your uterus.

If you have had unprotected sex and fear becoming pregnant, don't douche; call your gynecologist or Planned Parenthood (800-230-PLAN) immediately so you can obtain emergency contraception.

If you are worried that your discharge or odor isn't normal, share your concerns with a health care professional. She or he will help you make sure that your vagina is healthy. Then relax and allow the miraculous body you've been given to take care of itself.

Do you douche? If so, does this article change your mind about this practice? Tell us why--or why not--in the comments section below.

Hilary Beard is a Philadelphia-based writer

Published on: 10/18/2004







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