Did you know that vaginal douching can be harmful to women? A recent study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives revealed that douching could have dangerous effects to women as they are at great risk for exposure to harmful chemicals, which could interfere with the hormones of the body.

Like Us on Facebook

Medical groups including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have widely discouraged women against vaginal douching, Time noted. As defined by medical experts, vaginal douching is an act of washing the vagina using prepackaged mixes containing ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda or iodine. Then, women squirt the douche through a tube into the vagina.

In the study helmed by George Washington University's Milken School of Public Health researcher Ami Zota, feminine hygiene products for vaginal douching are found to contain potentially harmful chemicals known as phthalates. According to Huffington Post, researchers found the more women douched, the higher their exposure to a form of diethyl phthalate (DEP).

"Phthalates are chemicals of concern for women's health because they are suspected endocrine disruptors and can alter the action of important hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and thyroid hormones," Zota said.

Vaginal douching is widely discouraged due to its few known benefits and its capability to increase the risk of bacterial vaginosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, pregnancy complications and potentially cervical, Live Science has learned.

"Douching is not medically required," Zota said. "A healthy vagina has an effective self-cleaning system."

Based on the study, vaginal douching is harmful to women and here are 4 reasons why.

1. Vaginal douching can disrupt the normal levels of bacteria in the vagina. As per Medicine Net, douching can change the delicate balance of vaginal flora and acidity in a healthy vagina. Any changes can cause an overgrowth of bad bacteria which can lead to a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis. And if you have a vaginal infection, douching can push the bacteria causing the infection further up into the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

2. Douching has also been linked to high risks of pregnancy complications. Women who douche more than once a week have more difficulty getting pregnant than those who don't douche. Douching may also increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy by as much as 76 percent, WebMD cited.

3. Vaginal douching at least once a week has been linked to a possible increased chance of developing cervical cancer.

4. Douching has also been associated with many adverse outcomes in women including low birth weight, preterm birth, HIV and other STDs transmission, recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and infertility, National Center for Biotechnology Information revealed.

Due to its disadvantages, medical experts strongly advice women to avoid douching unless instructed by a healthcare provider.  

TagsVaginal Douching, Study, Women Health, Phtalates