Douching Increases STD Risk
Douching Increases STD Risk
Young Women Who Regularly Douche Have 84% Increased Risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Oct. 27, 2008 (Washington, D.C.) -- Don't douche.
That's the message from researchers who found that teens who report douching regularly are significantly more likely to subsequently develop a sexually transmitted disease (STD) than those who say they never douche.
"Vaginal douching is not a healthy behavior. It should be viewed as a harmful behavior, like overeating or being sedentary," says Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
Vermund presented the findings here at a joint meeting of the American Society for Microbiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Many women view douching -- rinsing out the vagina with water or a homemade or commercial solution -- as a prophylactic measure that can cleanse the vagina and prevent odors, Vermund says. Others have a mistaken belief that it can prevent pregnancy or STDs, he says.
In fact, studies have linked douching to pelvic inflammatory disease, reduced fertility, ectopic pregnancy (where an embryo implants outside the womb), low birthweight babies, preterm delivery, and cervical cancer, Vermund tells WebMD.
Numerous studies also support a strong relationship between douching and sexually transmitted infections, he says. But the studies do not answer the question of whether douching causes STDs or whether STDs cause women to douche, he says.
For the new study, Vermund and colleagues followed 368 teens for three years. Their average age was 17, and about 75% were black. All were considered at high risk for acquiring an STD: Two-thirds were infected with HIV and three-fourths reported they had been sexually active in the three months prior to entering the study.
The teens were tested for four STDs -- chlamydia,gonorrhea, herpes, and trichomoniasis -- every six months. At every test, the women were asked about douching habits; nearly 14% of the women who participated reported douching, and 24% never reported douching.
Results showed that those who reported douching every time were 84% more likely to subsequently develop a sexually transmitted disease than those who said they never douched. Those who reported douching sometimes were 36% more likely to develop an STD than those who said they never douched, but the finding could have been due to chance.
Douching Increases STD Risk
Young Women Who Regularly Douche Have 84% Increased Risk of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Oct. 27, 2008 (Washington, D.C.) -- Don't douche.
That's the message from researchers who found that teens who report douching regularly are significantly more likely to subsequently develop a sexually transmitted disease (STD) than those who say they never douche.
"Vaginal douching is not a healthy behavior. It should be viewed as a harmful behavior, like overeating or being sedentary," says Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
Vermund presented the findings here at a joint meeting of the American Society for Microbiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
Douching May be Harmful to Your Health
Many women view douching -- rinsing out the vagina with water or a homemade or commercial solution -- as a prophylactic measure that can cleanse the vagina and prevent odors, Vermund says. Others have a mistaken belief that it can prevent pregnancy or STDs, he says.
In fact, studies have linked douching to pelvic inflammatory disease, reduced fertility, ectopic pregnancy (where an embryo implants outside the womb), low birthweight babies, preterm delivery, and cervical cancer, Vermund tells WebMD.
Numerous studies also support a strong relationship between douching and sexually transmitted infections, he says. But the studies do not answer the question of whether douching causes STDs or whether STDs cause women to douche, he says.
For the new study, Vermund and colleagues followed 368 teens for three years. Their average age was 17, and about 75% were black. All were considered at high risk for acquiring an STD: Two-thirds were infected with HIV and three-fourths reported they had been sexually active in the three months prior to entering the study.
The teens were tested for four STDs -- chlamydia,gonorrhea, herpes, and trichomoniasis -- every six months. At every test, the women were asked about douching habits; nearly 14% of the women who participated reported douching, and 24% never reported douching.
Results showed that those who reported douching every time were 84% more likely to subsequently develop a sexually transmitted disease than those who said they never douched. Those who reported douching sometimes were 36% more likely to develop an STD than those who said they never douched, but the finding could have been due to chance.
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