Impact of Vaginal Douching on Women’s Health; Benefits and Potential Health Risk
Umar Asiya Imam1, Adikwu Pamela Onyemowo 1 and *Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu2
1Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.
2Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Kampala International University, Uganda.
*Corresponding author: Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu, Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Kampala International University, Uganda. emmanuelobeagu@yahoo.com, obeagu.emmanuel@kiu.ac.ug
ORCID: 0000-0002-4538-0161
ABSTRACT
For decades, vaginal douching, the practice involving the cleansing of the vaginal canal with water or mixture of fluids has ignited controversy, sparking debates about its potential benefits and detrimental impacts on women’s health. The risks of vaginal douching far outweigh any unproven benefits as this procedure provides a pressurized fluid vehicle for pathogen transport, helping lower genital tract infections ascend above the cervix, into the uterus, fallopian tubes and abdominal cavity, disrupting natural equilibrium of the vagina and leading to a wide range of adverse outcomes including pelvic inflammatory disease, bacterial vaginosis, cervical cancer, poor pregnancy outcomes, sexually transmitted infections, recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, and infertility. Additionally, douching may interfere with the body’s natural defense mechanisms against pathogens, making it easier for infections to take hold. Furthermore, some douching products contain harsh chemicals that can irritate the vaginal tissue and cause discomfort or pain and therefore, a strict reevaluation of the practice’s necessity for women’s health is recommended as the best way to support vaginal health is to ensure good overall hygiene and let the body’s natural processes do their job.
Keywords: Douching, Women, Benefits and Health risk
CITE AS: Umar Asiya Imam, Adikwu Pamela Onyemowo and Emmanuel Ifeanyi Obeagu (2024). Impact of Vaginal Douching on Women’s Health; Benefits and Potential Health Risk. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN MEDICAL SCIENCES 5 (1): 20-29. https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJRMS/2024/51.2019.1400.