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Should You Douche?
The History Of RingsDuring the Medieval period is when rings became popular. All classes of people wore rings from the poorest to the .....
The only thing a woman can say for certain about her vagina is
that it is drenched in mystery. And with this mystery comes a
bounty of myths. One myth marring the womans body is the
concept that her vagina is a filthy pit. Frequent marketing of
feminine douches does nothing to arrest this myth. But is the
vagina dirty and should a woman douche?
A substantial body of medical evidence makes a clear case that
douching is not necessary and in some cases unhealthy.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh led by Dr. Roberta
Ness discovered that most women are introduced to the concept of
douching by their mothers, sisters, or girlfriends. Yet this
well-intentioned sisterly advice has left too many women
misinformed about their vaginal health. For instance, a study at
the University of Alabama at Birmingham asked 729 women why they
douched. Twenty-one percent of the participants said that they
believed douching killed infectious germs, while 27% believed
that douching prevented pregnancy. Neither assumption is true.
As writer Mary Ann Innacchinoe explains in an American Journal
of Nursing article, the vagina contains, lactobacilli, "good",
aerobic bacteria that cleanse the vagina and protect it from
infection. Lactobacilli release hydrogen peroxide, a natural
disinfectant. The presence of hydrogen peroxide helps keep
potentially harmful anaerobic bacteria in balance.
Two Hearts Are Now OneIt is fitting that I should write this story on Valentines Day, for this is a story of two broken hearts; healed and mended .....
Ironically, some women view menstruation as a time when the
vagina most needs a douche. After menstruation, vaginal mucus
returns to its thicker, characteristically non-fertile state,
which makes it more difficult for pathogens to enter and infect
the vagina. Douching could wash this protective coating away and
invite vaginal bacterial imbalances and infections. For example,
a 2004 study published in the medical journal Sexually
Transmitted Diseases linked douching after menses with an
increased risk of bacterial vaginosis.
Bacterial vaginosis, or an excess of harmful bacteria in the
vagina, is one of the most common reasons women visit their
gynecologist. Symptoms of bacterial vaginosis include a gray or
frothy vaginal discharge, a fishy odor after intercourse,
vaginal itching and a vaginal pH greater than 4.5.
While douching can provoke bacterial vaginosis, it may also
encourage the herpes virus. In 2003, researchers from the
Magee-Womens Research Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
questioned why women are more susceptible to the herpes simplex
virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection than men. After examining 1207
women aged 18 to 30 from three Pittsburgh health clinics, the
investigators noted that women who douche, smoke, have sex with
uncircumcised partners, or have bacterial vaginosis are at
greater risk for contracting an HSV-2 infection.
Nevertheless, Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of Womens
Bodies, Womens Wisdom, recommends douching in one instance,
after having made love three times in one day. But sperm must
have been released into the vagina during each round of
intercourse. Northrup cautions that after such an entry of
sperm, the vagina will not return to its normal pH for another
twenty-four hours. Using a vinegar douche, made by adding a
tablespoon of vinegar to a quart of water, may help restore the
vaginal pH balance faster. Note, this douche is by no means
meant to serve as a contraceptive, only as a pH balancer.
The Animal And The HumanRecent DNA analyses have revealed that humans share a majority of our genetic makeup with other animals. Physically ..... The vagina deservingly derived its name for the Latin word
meaning sheath. While the vagina sheathes, or holds many
mysteries, the truth about this enigmatic organ will only come
forth by asking for the truth, not by believing hearsay or
fanciful medical ills crafted by marketers. At least now a woman
can say with certainty when she should and should not douche.
Sources:
Cherpes, Thomas L. et al. Risk Factors for Infection With
Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2: Role of Smoking, Douching,
Uncircumcised Males, and Vaginal Flora, Sexually Transmitted
Diseases, May2003, Vol. 30 Issue 5, p405.
Innacchinoe, Mary Ann. The Vagina Dialogues: Do You Douche?
American Journal of Nursing; Jan2004, Vol. 104 Issue 1, p40.
Impersonating Jed McKennaImpersonating Jed McKenna By Jed McKenna "No man is a prophet in his own country." That line keeps .....
Martino, Jenny L. & Surasak Youngpairoj, Sten H. Vermund.
Vaginal Douching: Personal Practices and Public Policies,
Journal of Women's Health, Nov2004, Vol. 13 Issue 9, p1048.
Ness, Roberta B. et al. Why Women Douche and Why They May or
May Not Stop, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Jan2003, Vol. 30
Issue 1, p71.
Oh, M. Kim et al. Early Onset of Vaginal Douching Is Associated
With False Beliefs and High-Risk Behavior, Sexually Transmitted
Diseases, May2003, Vol. 30 Issue 5, p405.
Schwebke, Jane E. &, Renee A.Desmond, M. Kim Oh. Predictors of
Bacterial Vaginosis in Adolescent Women Who Douche, Sexually
Transmitted Diseases, Jul2004, Vol. 31 Issue 7, p433.
About the author:
Health author and Stanford University graduate Naweko San-Joyz
lovingly writes from her home in San Diego. Her works include
Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to
acne (ISBN: 0974912204) and the upcoming work Skinny Fat
Chicks, Why were still not getting this dieting thing (ISBN:
0974912212) for release in June of 2005. For useful acne
self-help articles visit http://www.Noixia.com
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