Is Douching Bad for You?What the Vagina Does by Itself

There’s an aisle for it, a bottle with a soft-focus label and a nozzle, and the idea is that a part of you needs more cleaning than the rest. You notice a smell or a change in discharge, you want it gone, and the box says “fresh.”

What douching is, and who does it

OWH¹ defines douching as washing or cleaning out the inside of the vagina with water or other mixtures of fluids. Most commercial products are water mixed with vinegar, baking soda or iodine. OWH says women typically do it to deal with odor or discharge, and that about one in five US women ages 15 to 44 do.

What it’s linked to

OWH¹ lists:

• Bacterial vaginosis (BV). Women who douche about once a week are five times more likely to develop BV than women who don’t, OWH¹ says.
• Yeast infections and irritation.
• Pelvic inflammatory disease, a serious infection of the reproductive organs.
• Sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
• Pregnancy problems: ectopic pregnancy, preterm birth and reduced fertility.

The CDC’s² guidelines name douching as a risk factor for BV, and say it may increase the risk of relapse. They add that no data support douching for treatment or symptom relief. Our articles on BV and repeat yeast infections explain those two in more detail.

Notice what that means. A change in odor or discharge is a reason to ask what’s behind it, and douching doesn’t answer the question. It can create new problems. Our articles on vaginal odor and discharge cover what’s typical.

What’s enough

OWH¹ says to wash only the outside of the vagina with warm water, and to avoid scented products such as tampons, pads and powders. The NHS³ gives the same direction for BV: use water and plain soap, take showers instead of baths, and avoid perfumed soaps, vaginal deodorants, douches and antiseptics.

For thrush, the NHS⁴ says to use water and an emollient instead of soap, dry thoroughly, wear cotton underwear and avoid tight clothing, and skip douches and deodorants on the genital area.

The play

Try this: one month of external washing only

For a month, use only warm water and, if you like, a plain unscented wash on the outside, and drop all douches, wipes, sprays and scented liners.

Switch to cotton underwear.

Write down any odor or discharge changes with dates. If something changes or doesn’t settle, that note goes to your clinician.

When to get checked

OWH¹ says to contact a doctor if you have bad-smelling discharge, thick yellowish-green discharge, burning, pain when you pee, or pain during sex, because these may signal an infection that needs professional diagnosis.

Book an appointment if any of these fit:

• A new or strong odor that doesn’t go away
• Discharge that’s thick or yellowish-green
• Burning, itching or pain when you pee or during sex
• Pelvic pain, or a fever
• You’ve been douching regularly and have repeat infections

The label says “fresh.” Your body already runs its own cleaning cycle, and it works best left alone.