Myth #6 To properly clean your vagina, you need to douche

 

False: You do NOT need to douche. Actually, douching is HARMFUL for your vaginal health.

 

It has chemicals that can be harmful to your sensitive tissue (such as vinegar or iodine) and kills important natural vaginal bacteria.

 

As a result, douching makes it more, likely for you to have vaginal infections such as BV (Bacterial Vaginosis), yeast infections, and PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease), which can lead to pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy.

 

There are also some studies showing it might increase your risk for cervical and ovarian cancer. It also damages the lining of the vagina so women may experience more vaginal dryness and pain with sex.

 

The vagina is a self-cleaning organ. You do not need to do anything special to clean it other than rinsing with warm water on the outside (your vulva). You do not need to use fingers, towels, or other tools to deep clean inside your vagina. Do not use strong or scented body soap in that area.