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Results for “Vaginal Douching”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Does vaginal douching affect the risk of vaginal infections in pregnant women?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between vaginal douching and vaginal infections among women in early pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted this study in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Family Planning Center, Dr. E. Hayri Ustundag Hospital, Izmir, Turkey, between March 2003 and December 2004. We examined the vaginal swabs of 129 women, asking for termination of pregnancy in a family-planning center as both wet-preparations and cultures for vaginal microorganisms, and recorded the informations on women's vaginal douching habit. RESULTS: Among 129 women examined, 80 had at least one type of vaginal microorganisms. Of 67 vaginal douche users, 48 (71.6%) had at least one type of vaginal organisms, whereas of 62 nonusers, only 32 (51.6%) had microorganism, although age, educational status, coital frequency, age at the first intercourse were not statistically different between the vaginal douche-users and non-users. Especially, Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Enterococcus spp. and Candida spp. were found more frequent in vaginal douche-user women. CONCLUSION: We found that vaginal douching tends pregnant women to genital tract the incidence of vaginal infections, especially those caused by Enterococcus spp. and GBS. As such infections may render such women to high risk in terms of perinatal mortality and morbidity, it would be appropriate to discourage vaginal douching in pregnant women.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Variation and predictors of vaginal douching behavior.

INTRODUCTION: Vaginal douching is a widespread practice among American women. Little research has been done examining variation in the practice or identifying risk factors. METHODS: We collected data on douching, as well as hypothesized predictors of vaginal douching, as part of a cohort study on preterm birth. African-American women residing in Baltimore City, Maryland, were enrolled if they received prenatal care or delivered at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institution. Interview data were collected on 872 women between March 2001 and July 2004, with a response rate of 68%. Logistic regression analysis was selected to identify factors associated with douching in the 6 months prior to pregnancy. RESULTS: Almost two thirds of women reported ever douching and more than two thirds of those women reported douching in the 6 months prior to pregnancy. Variation was seen in the practice of douching with regard to frequency as well as technique. After adjusting for several confounders, prenatal enrollment (odds ratio [OR], 1.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29, 2.53), more unmet needs for time for "non-essentials" (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.27, 2.63), smoking in the year prior to the birth (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.22, 2.60), and age >19 years (OR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.36, 4.97) were significant predictors of douching in the 6 months prior to pregnancy. DISCUSSION: We identified considerable heterogeneity in the practice of vaginal douching in a cohort of low income African-American women. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies should incorporate measures of the predictors of douching and detailed exposure information to determine the independent contribution of vaginal douching to health outcomes.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Vaginal douching practices and beliefs in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to identify women's motivations for vaginal douching, vaginal douching practices, and women's reactions to situations that discourage vaginal douching. Research took place in the outskirts of Antalya, a city located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. A total of 776 women participated in the study. Age, religious affiliation, place of residence, and poverty were found to influence women's attitudes to douching. Motivating factors included mothers' attitudes as well as women's own individual motivations. Women who douched believed that it was a normal and routine behaviour. Women who were members of the Shafii sect were much less likely to practice vaginal douching. Healthcare providers should be aware of women's beliefs and concerns about feminine hygiene and tailor their strategies accordingly.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Vaginal douching.

OBJECTIVE: To review current literature on vaginal douching. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases from 1997 to 2001, using keywords douche or douching; 2001 Web sites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Internet search engines for information about current retail sales of douches. STUDY SELECTION: MEDUNE included 67 records, CINAHL 18, and Cochrane 2. Abstracts of articles in English were reviewed, and those pertaining to vaginal douching practices were included. MEDLINE had 44 pertinent articles, CINAHL 11, and Cochrane 1. References from these articles were reviewed and included when appropriate. DATA EXTRACTION: Articles were reviewed and summarized. DATA SYNTHESIS: Vaginal douching is a common practice for women in the United States. Douching is associated with adverse reproductive and gynecologic outcomes including bacterial vaginosis, preterm birth, low-birth-weight infants, pelvic inflammatory disease, chlamydial infection, tubal pregnancy, higher rates of HIV transmission, and cervical cancer. Cultural beliefs and educational factors strongly influence douching practices. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing assessment of women should include information on vaginal douching practices and beliefs. Nurses should use culturally appropriate educational strategies to discourage women of all ages from using vaginal douches as part of routine feminine hygiene because of the associated risks. Further research is needed on factors that influence women's beliefs and douching practices.

Attitude to Health↗

PubMed2004

Vaginal douching: personal practices and public policies.

BACKGROUND: Vaginal douching is associated with adverse reproductive health outcomes, yet both health providers and women are often poorly informed about details of this practice. METHODS: We searched the English language articles in the MEDLINE database (1965-March 2004) to describe vaginal douching products, policies of professional organizations, predictors of douching practice, douching methods used, timing of use, and motivation. A key report was obtained from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) via the Freedom of Information Act. Additional product information was obtained from manufacturers. Primary key terms for the literature search included (vagina OR vaginal) and (douche OR douching). Health effects of douching are reviewed briefly; personal practices and public policies are highlighted. RESULTS: From the literature search, we identified 432 papers, of which 150 were reviewed in detail. Contrary to the assumptions of many health professionals, douching products are only loosely regulated by the FDA. Few professional organizations have clearly stated policy statements regarding douching. In the United States, the prevalence of douching varies considerably by race (more common among African Americans) and age cohort (more common in women born earlier). Internationally, vaginal douching is common in some cultures and is rare in others. Opinions of mothers, peers, and health professionals, in addition to marketing of commercial products, affect douching behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Regulation of vaginal douching products and public education efforts on douching behavior need to be reassessed. Because of the preponderance of evidence that suggests an association between vaginal douching and adverse reproductive health outcomes, professional and public health associations should consider educational and policy activities to discourage women from douching.

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2000

Vaginal douching in adolescents attending a family planning clinic

Background: One of the variables most consistently associated with vaginal douching is race, with African-American women douching more regularly. Sparse data exists in the medical literature about the practice of vaginal douching among adolescents. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence, knowledge, attitude, and practices of vaginal douching among adolescent females attending a public family planning clinic, and determine whether African-American (AA) females douche to a greater degree than Caucasian females.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a one-page questionnaire was administered to all adolescent females (</=19 years of age) presenting to a public family planning clinic in a small southern city. Participant charts were abstracted for demographic and clinical information. Chi-square analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and odds ratio were used in data analysis conducted in SPSS for Windows software.Results: Of the 169 participants, the mean age was 17.0 years (+/-1.5 years), 53% were Caucasian, 47% were AA, and 74% were nulliparous. Sixty-nine percent of participants reported vaginal douching, mostly for hygienic reasons (68%). Those reporting vaginal douching were more likely to have a history of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (O.R. 3. 7, 95% C.I. 1.5-9.0, p < 0.01). Age of first douche correlated positively with age of first sexual intercourse (r = 0.34, p < 0. 001). African-Americans did not douche to a greater degree than Caucasians. Among those who douched, AA females were more likely than Caucasians to believe that the reason women douche was after a period (p < 0.01) and after sex (p < 0.05), and to agree that douching clears up a discharge (p < 0.05) and odor (p < 0.01) from the vagina. Caucasians were more likely than AA to believe that some discharge from the vagina is normal (p < 0.05), and most women never need to douche (p < 0.01).Conclusions: Vaginal douching was a common practice among adolescent females attending a public family planning clinic in a small southern city, and racial differences were noted in knowledge of and attitude toward vaginal douching. This suggests development of a culturally-based educational program to convince AA and Caucasian adolescent females to cease vaginal douching.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2001

Racial differences in vaginal douching knowledge, attitude, and practices among sexually active adolescents.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The study sought to assess knowledge of, attitude toward, and practices of vaginal douching among adolescent females attending a public family planning clinic, in order to better understand racial influences on douching. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, a one-page questionnaire was administered to all adolescent females (< or=19 years) presenting to a public family planning clinic in a small southern city between March 1 and May 31, 1999. RESULTS: Of the 169 participants, the mean age was 17.0 years (+/-1.5 years), 53% were Caucasian, and 47% were African-American. Sixty-nine percent of participants reported vaginal douching, mostly for hygienic reasons (68%). Those reporting vaginal douching were more likely to have a history of sexual intercourse (P < 0.01) and a history of one or more sexually transmitted diseases (P < 0.05). Age of first douche correlated positively with age of first sexual intercourse (r = 0.34, P < 0.001). African-Americans did not douche to a greater degree than Caucasians. However, racial differences were noted in knowledge of and attitude toward vaginal douching. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal douching was a common practice among adolescent females attending a public family planning clinic in a small southern city. Culturally appropriate educational strategies for African-American and Caucasian adolescent females should improve awareness of adverse events associated with vaginal douching, despite family and personal beliefs about this practice.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Vaginal douching practice in Turkish women: who is douching, and why?

The aim of this study was to describe vaginal douching practices among women of reproductive age in Turkey, and to examine the association between this practice and adverse reproductive health consequences. Of the 524 participants, 58% reported vaginal douching at some time in their lives. The practice is primarily used for hygienic reasons and a majority used water alone and homemade solution. Using a multivariate model, only age (P = 0.05) and intrauterine device usage (P = 0.02) were associated with vaginal douching.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Vaginal douching and associated factors among married women attending a family planning clinic or a gynecology clinic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the vaginal douching habits and associated factors of women attending two different healthcare clinics. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 and 31 May 2004. All participants were women (n=635) who attended either a university hospital gynecology clinic or a primary health care center family planning unit. One-way ANOVA, chi-squared test, and binary and multiple logistic regression analyses were used for the statistical evaluation of data. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 36.90+/-10.72 years (range: 18-75). Half of the participants believed vaginal douching had a positive effect on health. They believed vaginal douching demonstrates cleanliness, prevents infections and pregnancy, removes sperm following intercourse, a necessity of Islamic doctrine, and reduces symptoms like discharge, unpleasant odor, etc. Of the women, 50.2% performed vaginal douching. Vaginal douching was associated with age, education level, type of dwelling, working outside of the home, age at marriage, age at birth of first child, parity, spontaneous abortion, history of pelvic inflammatory disease, use of contraceptives, and attending a healthcare clinic. CONCLUSION: Douching is a common habit among Turkish women. Many women are not aware of the harmful effects of douching. Public health and health professionals should monitor more closely this traditional habit in Turkey.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

PubMed1997

HIV infection and vaginal douching in central Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether vaginal douching is associated with HIV infection. METHODS: A total of 397 female patients who attended the referral clinic for sexually transmitted diseases in Bangui, Central African Republic, from August 1994 to February 1995, were interviewed regarding sexual behavior, sexual history, and vaginal douching during the previous 3 years. Pelvic examinations were conducted and vaginal and cervical fluids evaluated for genital infections. Blood was drawn for HIV and syphilis serologic testing. RESULTS: The seroprevalence of HIV infection in the study population was 34%. Twenty-one per cent of the 115 HIV-seropositive women had a consistent practice of douching with commercial antiseptics versus 35% of the 223 HIV-seronegative women [odds ratio (OR), 0.6; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.4-0.9; after adjusting for lifetime number of sexual partners, marital status, and condom use]. In contrast, a higher percentage of HIV-seropositive than HIV-seronegative women had a consistent practice of douching with a non-commercial preparation (14.8 versus 6.7%; adjusted OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-3.0). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that vaginal douching with non-commercial preparations is associated with an increased prevalence of HIV, whereas douching with commercial antiseptic preparations was associated with a lower prevalence of HIV. The findings from this cross-sectional survey require confirmation in prospective studies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Vaginal douching, condom use, and sexually transmitted infections among Chinese female sex workers.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Vaginal douching has been hypothesized to increase a woman's risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. However, data on the prevalence of this practice and its association with condom use and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are limited. STUDY: A cross-sectional survey among 454 female sex workers (FSWs) in a Chinese county. RESULTS: Vaginal douching was reported by 64.7% of the women. The prevalence of self-reported history of STI and that of current STI was 19.4% and 41.5%, respectively. Fifteen percent of the women reported consistent use of condoms with their clients and 8.4% with their regular partners. Vaginal douching was significantly associated with decreased use of condoms (with clients: OR = 0.31; with regular partner(s): OR = 0.22) and increased rate of self-reported STI history (OR = 1.95). However, there was no direct relation between douching and current STI. Over one third of the women believed that douching can prevent STI/HIV. CONCLUSION: Vaginal douching exposes FSWs to a high risk of STI/HIV. Medical professional and public health workers should correct women's misconception about the effectiveness of douching and discourage women from douching through educational activities.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Association between vaginal douching and acute pelvic inflammatory disease.

The vaginal douching habits of 100 consecutive municipal hospital patients with verified pelvic inflammatory disease (cases) were compared with those of 762 randomly selected controls (random controls) and 119 women thought to have pelvic inflammatory disease but in whom the diagnosis was not confirmed by laparoscopy and/or endometrial biopsy specimen (internal controls). Because patients had been symptomatic for no more than 3 weeks, current douching was arbitrarily defined as any douching during the previous 2 months. Current douching was more common among those with pelvic inflammatory disease than among random controls or internal controls. Among current douchers, pelvic inflammatory disease was significantly related to frequency of douching. For example, when cases were compared with random controls, those who douched three or more times per month were 3.6 times more likely than those who douched less than once per month to have confirmed pelvic inflammatory disease. A logistic regression model was used to adjust for demographic, behavioral, and other possible confounding variables. Even after adjustments, douching during the previous 2 months remained associated with pelvic inflammatory disease. These data suggest that among these women vaginal douching may be a risk factor for pelvic inflammatory disease.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1984

Vaginal douching. Pros, cons, and proper technique.

Vaginal douching is not necessary in routine feminine hygiene. When performed infrequently it is not harmful, but frequent douching may lead to recurrent vaginitis and mucosal irritation or ulceration. Douching should not be performed during pregnancy.

Female↗

PubMed2006

Vaginal douches and other feminine hygiene products: women's practices and perceptions of product safety.

OBJECTIVE: Use of vaginal douche products has been linked with a variety of reproductive health problems; nonetheless, the practice of douching persists. The goals of this study were to 1) determine the use of vaginal douches and other feminine hygiene products, 2) ascertain how safe women think vaginal douche products are, and 3) evaluate women's readiness to stop douching. METHODS: A random-digit-dial computer-assisted telephone survey was conducted among US women between the ages of 18 and 44. RESULTS: Of the 2,602 women interviewed, 11.8% (n = 307) engaged in regular douching (White: 9.1%; African American: 27.7%; Hispanic: 15.0%). Women who douched, compared to women who did not douche, used other feminine hygiene products significantly more often (vaginal sprays [ p < .0001], wipes/towelettes [ p < 0.01], vaginal powder [ p < 0.0001] and bubble bath for feminine cleansing [ p < 0.001]). Women who douched also were more likely than nondouchers to agree with the statement, "Douche products are safe to use; otherwise they wouldn't be on the market" (70.3% vs. 33.4%, respectively; p < 0.0001). Nearly all women (90.0%) who douched had no intention to discontinue the practice. CONCLUSION: Compared with women who do not douche, women who douche use other feminine hygiene products at a much higher rate and also believe that douche products are safe. Women who douche will remain resistant to stopping the practice without innovative interventions. Given that most women start douching in adolescence, teens should be targeted for prevention efforts.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Effectiveness of vaginal douching on febrile and infectious morbidities after total abdominal hysterectomy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of vaginal douching with 1 per cent povidone-iodine in reducing febrile and infectious morbidities after total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). METHOD: The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial in 300 patients undergoing elective TAH in three hospitals in Northeast Thailand: a university, a regional and a general hospital. The patients were randomly allocated to the intervention or control groups. Patients in the intervention group received pre-operative vaginal douching with 1 per cent povidone-iodine while patients in the control group did not. External evaluators not apprised of the intervention assessed febrile and infectious morbidities. RESULTS: 300 patients were enrolled in the study. The incidences of febrile morbidity in patients with and without pre-operative vaginal douching were 25 and 35 per cent, respectively, though not statistically significant (risk difference -9.6%, 95% CI -19.9%, 0.8%, adjusted odds ratio 0.6, 95% CI 0.3%, 1.0%). A statistically significant difference in infectious morbidity was found between the groups (8 vs 19%, risk difference -10.0%, 95% CI -17.8%, -2.2%, adjusted odds ratio 0.4, 95% CI 0.2%, 0.9%). CONCLUSION: Pre-operative vaginal douching with 1 per cent povidone-iodine significantly reduces infectious morbidities after TAH.

Administration, Intravaginal↗

PubMed2002

Risk of preterm birth that is associated with vaginal douching.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the association between vaginal douching and preterm birth. STUDY DESIGN: We enrolled hospitalized women after delivery in a case-control study. Women who were delivered of a live preterm singleton infant were assigned as cases. Women who were delivered at term were randomly selected as control subjects. We surveyed women about their douching habits and risk factors for preterm birth and abstracted data from the records. RESULTS: After adjustment, vaginal douching within 6 months of pregnancy was not significantly associated with preterm birth (odds ratio, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.8-1.6). However, in secondary analyses, douching more than once per week (odds ratio, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.0-15.5) or longer than 10 years (odds ratio, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.1-3.2) was associated with preterm birth. CONCLUSION: Vaginal douching does not appear to be a strong risk factor for preterm birth. Further study is needed to confirm the risk that is associated with frequent or long-term douching.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Is vaginal douching related to cervical carcinoma?

The association between cervical carcinoma and vaginal douching was examined in a population-based case-control study conducted in the low-risk population of Utah between 1984 and 1987. The authors compared 266 cases of in situ and invasive cervical carcinoma with 408 group-matched controls by vaginal douching behavior, controlled for age, lifetime number of sex partners, cigarette smoking history, religious activity, and educational level. Essentially no association was found in women who douched once per week or less, but in those who douched more than once per week, a consistent relation was demonstrated (adjusted odds ratio = 4.7, 95% confidence interval 1.9-11). Few differences were found with type of douching preparation used. The authors hypothesize that frequent douching alters the vaginal chemical environment, making the cervix more susceptible to pathologic change.

Carcinoma↗

PubMed1991

Vaginal douching. Who and why?

Despite the long history of vaginal douching and its estimated practice by more than 67 million U.S. women, little is known about who those women are or why they douche. We addressed these questions by studying 618 women from urban gynecology practices. Fifty-nine percent had douched at some time, with the most frequent reason given as hygiene. The solutions used were evenly divided between commercial and home preparations. Three characteristics stood out among the women who douched: lower socioeconomic status, greater risk of sexually transmitted diseases and symptoms suggestive of vaginal infection. These characteristics were most common among women who douched frequently. The results suggest that douching has a strong cultural component but also raise the possibility that douching may be done in response to a perceived infection, possibly one transmitted through sexual contact.

Adolescent↗