Gynecology General Gynecology

Douche Wikipedia

Image:Vaginal bulb syringe.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A vaginal bulb syringe. Note the lateral holes near the tip of the nozzle (about 1cm, or 1/2 inch thick).
Image:Combination enema and douche syringe.jpg|thumb|right|200px|This "fountain syringe" may be used for douching, by replacing the currently attached enema nozzle by the vaginal nozzle (shown bottom left). The vaginal nozzle is longer, thicker, and has lateral holes.

A douche (IPA IPA|/du:ʃ/) is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or "sanitary" reasons, or the stream of water itself. The word comes from French language|French where its principal meaning is a shower; this is therefore a false friend for speakers of USA English. The word can refer to the rinsing of any body cavity but usually applies to the vagina. A douchebag is a piece of equipment for douching: a bag for holding the water or fluid used in douching (the word can also be used as a verb). (See #Slang uses|below for slang uses.)

Vaginal douching has a variety of perceived benefits. In addition to promising to clean the vagina of unwanted odors, it can also be used by women who wish to have intercourse during menstruation, in order to avoid blood smearing the penis. In the past, douching was also used after intercourse as a method of contraception, though it is not very effective (see below). Many people suggest that douching is generally not a good idea, as the vagina is self-cleaning and douching interferes with the natural bacterial culture of the vagina, and it might spread or introduce infectionsfn|1.

Douches may consist of water, water mixed with vinegar, or even antiseptic chemicals. Frequent douching with water may result in an imbalance of the pH of the vagina, and thus may put women at risk for possible vaginal infections. Antiseptics may result in an imbalance of the natural bacteria in the vagina, also resulting in an increased likelihood of infection. Furthermore, unclean douching equipment may also introduce undesirable foreign bodies into the vagina. For these reasons, the practice of douching is now generally discouraged, unless under medical supervision.

Douching after intercourse is estimated at reducing the chances of conception by only 1/6 to 1/4 (for comparison, proper condom use reduces the chance of conception by as much as 99/100). In fact, in some cases douching may force the ejaculate further into the vagina, increasing the chance of pregnancy.

The practice of douching is now largely restricted to North America, where douching equipment is often available in pharmacies.

Last Modified:   2005-12-19