Even today, some women naively use vaginal douches, after sexual intercourse, for contraception or to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases; in reality both practices are useless and potentially dangerous. The substances dissolved in the liquid with which the vaginal environment is irrigated can in fact upset the local microflora, which is very important for preventing infections.
The depletion of useful bacteria can therefore favor the engraftment of pathogens and their ascent into the uterus and tubes, exposing the internal genitals to the risk of severe infections (the consequences can be very serious, such as the dreaded pelvic inflammatory disease). For the same reason it is wrong to use vaginal showers to eliminate bad smells, which should instead be submitted to the attention of the doctor or gynecologist (they are common in the presence of bacterial vaginosis and Gardnerella infection). During an intimate wash there is also the risk of introducing any harmful bacteria located on the surface of the cannula into the vagina.
The contraceptive efficacy of vaginal douches is very modest, estimated at 15-30%, against 97-98% of the condom used correctly. Even vaginal showers based on spermicidal substances cannot be considered a valid contraceptive tool.
For what has been said, vaginal irrigation is a practice not recommended by many gynecologists, who reserve its use for the treatment of certain conditions, such as chronic infections of bacterial or fungal origin. In this case, medicated liquids are used, prescribed by the doctor and used under his strict control.
it must be entrusted to the simple combination of warm water and mild soap, such as that of Marseille, or special formulations with a physiological pH (which at the vaginal level is, during the fertile age, slightly acidic, around 4 - 4.5) . Not recommended are all cosmetic products, such as sprays, perfumes, powders or foams not specifically tested for intimate hygiene; the risk of irritation or allergic reactions would be high.
When washing, it is a good idea to start from the vagina and go down to the anus, not vice versa since this maneuver would favor the contact of fecal bacteria with the external genitals.
. When these pathologies become manifest they generally produce characteristic symptoms, such as leucorrhoea and itching, irritation, redness, burning and vulvo-vaginal pain (sometimes amplified by sexual intercourse). In these cases, using a vaginal douche to rinse away the abnormal discharge can not only aggravate the infectious process but can delay medical diagnosis.If something is wrong at an intimate level, the gynecologist must "be alerted as soon as possible; woe to hope that the disease will regress spontaneously or be resolved with a simple vaginal douch. Even if in the initial stages the symptoms are particularly modest, in the long run some venereal diseases they can have devastating consequences, such as infertility, an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy and pain, even of severe intensity, in the lower abdomen and pelvis.
