A douche is a device or method used to wash or clean out the inside of the vagina with water or other mixtures of fluids. Most douches are sold in stores as prepackaged mixes of water and vinegar, baking soda, or iodine. The mixtures usually come in a bottle or bag, and are squirted upward through a tube or nozzle into the vagina. The water mixture then comes back out through the vagina.
However, douching is not recommended by medical professionals as it can increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), cervicitis, and other infections. PID is an infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and/or ovaries, and research has found that women who douche may have a 73% higher risk of getting PID. Douching can also make an existing infection worse and spread it to other parts of the reproductive system.
