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What is Vaginal douching? Here are concerns associated with douche cleaning

We spoke to Dr. Swetha M.P, Consultant - Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospitals, HRBR Layout Bangalore, who gave us the risks, and benefits of Vaginal douching

What is Vaginal douching? Here are concerns associated with douche cleaning   RBA
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First Published Dec 6, 2022, 11:41 AM IST

Vaginal douching is a widespread process that includes washing and cleaning the vagina to get rid of any odor and the technique involves water or a mixture of fluids to clean. This often includes mixing vinegar with water, but some prepackaged douche products contain baking soda or iodine, while a few also have antiseptics and fragrances. Many women use douches regularly to clean their intimate areas, but this technique can cause side effects like burning and irritation. Let's take a deeper look at how douche cleaning can affect your intimate health.

It will help you in: 
● Eliminating vaginal odour 
● Using douche cleaning after your intercourse will help you in avoiding unwanted pregnancy.
● helps in washing away period blood and bacteria. 
● Helps in avoiding infections.

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These are the reasons why women use douching. But these benefits can also be achieved with other methods of vaginal cleaning like by using a safe and tested intimate wash. There are several safety concerns associated with this method of cleaning. Though it's really popular among women, when you look at the safety factor, you would like to look for alternatives. 

Here are concerns associated with douche cleaning - 

Makes your vagina vulnerable to infections -
A healthy balance of bacteria in your vagina helps you avoid any infections, and eliminating these good bacteria would mean making your intimate area more vulnerable to catching infections. Some women believe that washing their vagina using this method will help them fight the infection but it would worsen it.

Makes you vulnerable to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - 
It is a kind of infection that develops in the reproductive organs, most of which are caused by sexually transmitted infections. As mentioned above, douching can make your vagina less immune to infections. 

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What is the better alternative? 
You don't have to do much to keep your vagina clean, a regular wash during your bath will do the job. You don't necessarily have to use the soap but if you do, make sure to choose something mild and unscented as artificial scents can irritate the vaginal skin. With one hand, form a V with two fingers to hold back the outside skin and spread out the folds of your vagina, then use a gentle splash of warm water several times to clean it. If you are using mild soap, don't scrub the folds harshly and prevent soap water from entering your vagina. Now, gently rinse the area and dry it up with a clean towel. 

Conclusion – Your vagina is programmed to maintain itself, and you don't have to do much when it comes to cleaning it. It can eliminate semen, blood, and other fluids through natural discharges on its own, and you don’t need harsh douche washes to do it. 

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