Douching can bring you more problems than solutions in the long run, making doctors say it’s best to leave the box on the shelf.
Shooting water mixed with vinegar or chemicals up the inside the vagina, isn’t really recommended by health practitioners. Except maybe in a few select cases, for specific reasons.
Nonetheless, many women continue to do it. Why? Probably because it makes them feel fresh ready to face the day.
That being said, here are five reasons why you shouldn’t be doing it:
1) It’s Not What Nature Intended
This isn’t meant in a religious way but really, if women were supposed to wash out their innards every so often for a healthy life, we would have been born with a tube and bag attached at the hip.
Don’t spend extra money on something that isn’t necessary, gals! The female body has its own rhythm and its own way of discharging what it needs to from the vagina. Mess with the system, and you’re also messing with some trouble.
2) It Causes Infections
This is just the beginning of the woes, referenced in #1. Since douching disturbs the natural pH balance going on in the vagina, (all that good and bad bacteria), when you go in there and blast away with a pressure washer you’re increasing your chances of getting some kind of infection.
Basically, you’re transforming your vag in a cave that encourages the bad bacteria to multiply. You really don’t want or need bacterial vaginosis, do you?
3) And Disease
Some people erroneously think that by douching, they’re reducing the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease. You’re not- only using a condom or abstaining from having sex will do this.
You can, however, actually be increasing your chances of developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), if you douche regularly. And some studies say, it’s by quite a lot.
PID is caused by an infection in the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries. Not pleasant.
4) It’s Been Linked to Cancer
Since you’re shooting a bunch of stuff up inside your body when you douche, it’s not surprising (but still very troubling) that doing so on a regular basis has been linked with an increased chance of developing cervical cancer.
5) It Could Complicate Your Pregnancy
Being pregnant is complicated enough. If you douche and you might get pregnant, you could be risking your chances of developing an ectopic pregnancy. This happens when the embryo implants itself outside the uterus. Ouch.
6) It Can Raise Your Chances of Getting an STI
Douching can’t actually give you a sexually transmitted disease obviously, but if you douche after having sex and you’re partner is infected with something-even if you know about it or not- you’re increasing your risk of contracting that STI.
Basically, the chances are high that you’ll get whatever STI, including HIV, that your partner has if you have sex with them. But it’s not a guarantee. If they’re infected with something and you douche after having sex, your chances of getting that infection soar.
By douching you’re not allowing your vagina to clean itself out naturally and you could actually be pushing the infected fluids further up into your body.
What should you do? Wash the outside of your vagina with warm water regularly, nothing more, and you’ll be fresh as a daisy.
Photo credits: AntonioGuillem/Bigstock; GreenApple78/Bigstock; Chris Tefme/Bigstock;Eldar Nurkovic/Bigstock; JegasRa/Bigstock
