The presence of BV also has significant social, interpersonal, and work effects and, for some women, is the source of extreme anxiety and distress, which is why many women turn to extreme measures such as
douching to control it.
Awolude, a consultant obstetrics and gynaecologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said
douching, the process of rinsing the vagina with water-based solutions, has been found to increase a woman risk of infections, pregnancy complications, and other health problems.
This ultimately leads to discontinuation of nasal
douching.
Douching has also been associated with increased risk of yeast infections, as doing so might push the bacteria causing the infection to other areas such as the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.
A A study published earlier this year found a link between
douching and ovarian cancer, with women who douched having almost twice the risk of women who did not douche.
5%) had reported vaginal
douching in the preceding year.
Twenty percent of black women reported
douching at least twice a month, compared with just 7% of white participants and 3% of Mexican Americans in the study.
Yet the American Public Health Association and other health groups strongly recommend not
douching unless specifically medically recommended.
Douching (cleaning out the anal canal with water) was also widely practiced.
He thinks so little of gargles and sprays that he attributes what little good follows their use as due entirely to remnants of the medicament being left to be dissolved in the saliva, and
douching he considers but little more effective, whilst, as he says, extremely few nurses know how to douche properly.
This may result from being run down or unwell, taking antibiotics,
douching or overzealous washing.
3,5,13 Behavioral factors as-sociated specifically with vaginal infections include vaginal
douching, improper hygiene and smok-ing.
