Are there any benefits to the uses of vaginal lotion?

What is vaginal douche?

Vaginal Douching is different from washing the outside of the vagina. It is a process of internal cleansing of the vagina using water or a mixture of liquids containing antiseptics or perfumes to get rid of the smell of the vagina or to clean it after sexual intercourse or after the menstrual period. Women use it for the following reasons:

• Getting rid of vaginal odors.
• Contraception.
• Cleaning the vagina from menstrual blood or semen.
• Reducing the chances of contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

Is vaginal douche safe?

The vagina is characterized by self-cleaning, by getting rid of bodily fluids such as menstrual blood or semen, and it also maintains the natural balance of the pH level in the vagina, because it contains bacteria or vaginal flora that maintain the health of the vagina, and prevent infection, inflammation or irritation.

For this reason, specialists consider vaginal douching unsafe because it reduces the healthy bacteria in the vagina, as opposed to the multiplication of harmful bacteria, which stimulates susceptibility to infection, irritation, and other health complications.

Vaginal lotion uses

Vaginal douching is believed to be useful in cleaning and treating many health conditions. Therefore, it is used in the following cases:

1. Douching before or after sex

Many women believe that douching can be used before or after sexual intercourse to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, but this is not true, because vaginal douching does not help in preventing these diseases, but rather stimulates the multiplication of harmful bacteria as a result of eliminating the natural bacteria present in the vagina. which usually protects against infection.

2. Use of vaginal douche for pregnant women

The use of vaginal douching for pregnant women can stimulate the risk of many health complications during pregnancy. These health conditions include premature birth, high risk of miscarriage, and then ectopic pregnancy.

3. Use vaginal douche during your period

As is the case with other cases, it is not recommended to resort to vaginal douche after or during the menstrual cycle because it disturbs the bacterial balance in the vagina, which may lead to health complications that may be more serious than the disposal of vaginal fluids.

4. Use vaginal douche for vaginal dryness

Douching affects the pH of the vagina, altering the natural balance of bacteria in the vagina, and then affecting the fluid levels secreted by the vagina, which can lead to vaginal dryness.

Are there any benefits of vaginal lotion?

Douching is believed to have many benefits, including eliminating unpleasant odors, preventing pregnancy, washing menstrual blood after menstruation, washing semen after sex, avoiding sexually transmitted infections, treating vaginal infections, avoiding vaginal irritation and itching, or avoiding vaginal dryness. However, studies have not proven these benefits or the effectiveness of vaginal douche in preventing these conditions.

Damage to vaginal lotion

Doctors advise against resorting to vaginal douche to clean the vagina, as it is associated with many health problems such as vaginal infection. Health complications of vaginal douche include:

1. Vaginal douching is harmful to pregnant women

Douching can make pregnancy more difficult, as it may lead to:

• High risk of ectopic pregnancy

Douching can damage the fallopian tubes and potentially lead to an ectopic pregnancy, in which the fertilized egg attaches to the fallopian tube instead of the uterus.

• High risk of premature birth

The vaginal douche can also increase the possibility of premature birth as a result of its use during pregnancy, which may affect the health of the vagina and the inability of the uterus to preserve the fetus.

2. Vaginal douching causes skin irritation and redness

Vaginal douching can lead to a burning sensation, redness, which leads to skin irritation and vaginal discharge and unpleasant odors.

3. Allergic reactions

Allergic reactions a woman may experience after using a douche include:

• Strong-smelling vaginal discharge.
• White, yellow, or green vaginal discharge.
• Vaginal odor that does not go away after a few days.
• Pain or discomfort during sexual intercourse.
• Pain when urinating.
• Redness, swelling, or itching and burning in and around the vagina.

4. Disrupting the vaginal microbiome

Vaginal douching disrupts the natural balance of bacteria in the vagina, which stimulates the multiplication of bacteria harmful to the vagina known to cause infections, and makes women suffer from bacterial vaginosis, or the spread of infection to other parts of the reproductive system.

5. Pelvic inflammatory disease

Douching can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. It is usually caused by a sexually transmitted infection, but douching may stimulate infection, which may lead to difficulty in the ability to conceive as a result of damage to the functions of the genital organs.

6. Cervicitis

The vaginal shower can stimulate the risk of infection of the cervix, which is usually transmitted through sexually transmitted diseases, but women who resort to the vaginal shower are considered more susceptible to inflammation and irritation of the cervix, which causes itching, pain and vaginal secretions.

Also read: Learn about the 3 most common types of vaginitis: their causes and methods of treatment!

Alternatives to vaginal douche

A safe alternative to vaginal douching is washing with warm water when bathing, or using a lotion that does not contain perfumes and does not lead to disturbing the natural bacterial balance of the vagina, taking care to wash the vagina gently by spraying with water and not rubbing it or inserting lotion or soap into the vagina, then drying it gently with a clean area .

What is the best way to clean the vagina?

The vagina is naturally and self-cleaned by the formation of mucus that helps eliminate blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. It is possible to maintain the cleanliness of the vagina by washing the vagina from the outside and not from the inside with warm water when taking a shower, while avoiding the use of soap, powders or scented sprays in case of suffering from a vaginal infection or if your skin is sensitive, to avoid dryness or irritation of the vagina.

How to prevent vaginal odor

The smell of the vagina is a normal thing, and it may differ from one woman to another, and it may differ from one factor to another, and unpleasant odors in the vagina can be reduced and inflammation reduced by following the following tips:

• Ensure vaginal hygiene

By washing the vagina with water while avoiding washing with soap in case the skin is sensitive to it, then avoiding detergents that contain chemicals.

• Wear breathable fabrics

It is recommended to wear cotton fabrics and clothes that allow air to pass through and that limit moisture and the multiplication of bacteria around the genitals, given that moisture is one of the most important causes of bad smell and infections.

Care should be taken to dry the vagina and the area around it, to reduce and reduce moisture, as well as to reduce the formation of an unpleasant odor in the vagina.

• Do not use strong detergents

It is advised to avoid strong cleansers such as vaginal washes, which lead to upsetting the natural balance of bacteria, and the multiplication of bacteria and infections.

When should I see a doctor?

Douching is not recommended to get rid of vaginal odor, vaginal discharge, irritation, or itching. Instead, it is recommended to see a doctor in the following cases to treat possible health conditions that are causing these symptoms:

• Foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
• Itching in the vagina.
• Thick white, green, or yellow discharge with or without an odor.
• Burning, redness and swelling in or around the vagina.
• Pain when urinating.
• Pain during sex.