Douching is the process of washing or cleaning 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 you squirt the douche upward through a tube or nozzle into your vagina. The water mixture then comes back out through your vagina.
However, doctors recommend that you do not douche. Douching can lead to many health problems, including problems getting pregnant, vaginal infections, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) . Health experts say douching is not effective for any purposes, and it can actually increase the risk of infections, pregnancy complications, and other health problems. Rinsing the outside of your vagina with warm water during a bath or shower will not harm your vagina, but douching is different from washing the outside of your vagina.
