"Mom, do you ever feel... you know. Not-so-fresh?"
"Sure! That's why I douche."
- an advertisement for Summer's Eve from the 80s. That 'not-so-fresh feeling' went on to become a pop-culture joke that can even be found on Urban Dictionary and in an episode of Family Guy.
Douching.
We've all (probably) heard of it. Some of us may have even tried it. We've all seen them in the 'feminine care' aisle at CVS. But what's the point of it, and should you be doing it?
I, personally, have been asked questions about douching, from "can I douche with just plain water" to "can I douche with lemon juice/apple cider vinegar/hydrogen peroxide" and even if it's safe to douche with bleach. The answer, almost always, is a big fat no.
"But the packing on this one says it's all-natural."
"But this one says it will balance my pH."
"But it's a mixture of vinegar and water (or essential oil, or hydrogen peroxide, or what have you) that I made myself."
STILL NO.
Some of us have heard that douching after unprotected sex with 'flush' or 'rinse' all the potential semen out of the vagina, so you won't get pregnant.
Some of us have heard that douching is good when you have bacterial vaginosis, or yeast infection.
Some of us have heard that it's good to douche after your period to 'freshen up.'
All of this is complete and utter b-u-l-l-s-h-i-t. There's a reason douching went out of style in the late 80s. It's because it doesn't do anything for you, except put you at risk for potential harm. Now, this isn't to scare anyone, (one or even a few douches won't automatically give you cancer or anything.) But, research has shown that regular douching upsets the delicate balance of good bacteria inside the vagina, and can actually lead to pH problems, funky discharge, vaginitis, increased yeast infections, and even pelvic inflammatory disease.
In addition to this, the whole reason douches exist is for the purpose of telling people with vaginas that they're gross, unclean, dirty, smelly, (hence: 'not-so-fresh.') The patriarchy wants us to literally shoot chemical mixtures inside our most sensitive area. It's an industry, just like "freshening wipes," scented menstrual pads (wtf), vaginal perfumes, and all of that stupid shit.
In fact, I've seen a lot of people douche to try to get rid of an odor, and then once they stop douching, the odor goes away.
So usually, with douching, the answer is don't do it. The one exception is rinsing the vagina with plain water. BUT, as usual, there is a caveat. You shouldn't use plain water in a douche to try to fix a funky smell, discharge, yeast infections, or bacterial vaginosis. You shouldn't use it after your period. But you can use it every once in a while, if you feel like you want to. But if you have a healthy, normal-smelling vagina with occasional clear or white thin discharge, there is literally no need for it.
"Sure! That's why I douche."
- an advertisement for Summer's Eve from the 80s. That 'not-so-fresh feeling' went on to become a pop-culture joke that can even be found on Urban Dictionary and in an episode of Family Guy.
Douching.
We've all (probably) heard of it. Some of us may have even tried it. We've all seen them in the 'feminine care' aisle at CVS. But what's the point of it, and should you be doing it?
I, personally, have been asked questions about douching, from "can I douche with just plain water" to "can I douche with lemon juice/apple cider vinegar/hydrogen peroxide" and even if it's safe to douche with bleach. The answer, almost always, is a big fat no.
"But the packing on this one says it's all-natural."
"But this one says it will balance my pH."
"But it's a mixture of vinegar and water (or essential oil, or hydrogen peroxide, or what have you) that I made myself."
STILL NO.
Some of us have heard that douching after unprotected sex with 'flush' or 'rinse' all the potential semen out of the vagina, so you won't get pregnant.
Some of us have heard that douching is good when you have bacterial vaginosis, or yeast infection.
Some of us have heard that it's good to douche after your period to 'freshen up.'
All of this is complete and utter b-u-l-l-s-h-i-t. There's a reason douching went out of style in the late 80s. It's because it doesn't do anything for you, except put you at risk for potential harm. Now, this isn't to scare anyone, (one or even a few douches won't automatically give you cancer or anything.) But, research has shown that regular douching upsets the delicate balance of good bacteria inside the vagina, and can actually lead to pH problems, funky discharge, vaginitis, increased yeast infections, and even pelvic inflammatory disease.
In addition to this, the whole reason douches exist is for the purpose of telling people with vaginas that they're gross, unclean, dirty, smelly, (hence: 'not-so-fresh.') The patriarchy wants us to literally shoot chemical mixtures inside our most sensitive area. It's an industry, just like "freshening wipes," scented menstrual pads (wtf), vaginal perfumes, and all of that stupid shit.
In fact, I've seen a lot of people douche to try to get rid of an odor, and then once they stop douching, the odor goes away.
So usually, with douching, the answer is don't do it. The one exception is rinsing the vagina with plain water. BUT, as usual, there is a caveat. You shouldn't use plain water in a douche to try to fix a funky smell, discharge, yeast infections, or bacterial vaginosis. You shouldn't use it after your period. But you can use it every once in a while, if you feel like you want to. But if you have a healthy, normal-smelling vagina with occasional clear or white thin discharge, there is literally no need for it.
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