Medical experts have long discouraged douching in women as there are no real benefits to it. The practice is not necessary as it can disrupt the balance of healthy bacteria present in the vagina, which can lead to vaginosis, inflammation, or complications in pregnancy and even cervical cancer. Despite medical advice, many women are still in the habit of douching, but a new study supporting doctors' recommendations against douching has found another reason to avoid this altogether.
Researchers said, harmful chemicals in the douche called phthalates could affect the body's hormones and cause serious health problems.
"Phthalates are chemicals of concern for women's health because they are suspected endocrine disruptors and can alter the action of important hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and thyroid hormones," said Ami Zota of the Milken School of Public Health at George Washington University and the lead author of the study, according to Reuters.
Phthalates, however, are also found in other personal care products, but diethyl phthalate (DEP) is specifically present in tampons and douches, according to TIme Magazine.
In the study, the researchers surveyed 739 women between the ages of 20 to 29 regarding their use of douches and similar vaginal products like wipes, pads and tampons. They were also asked to undergo a urine test.
After their urine samples were studied, researchers said that the women who use douches had 52 percent higher levels of DEP concentration in their samples. Those who used douches in the last two months prior to the study showed higher levels of DEP at 152 percent.
From all the products the women surveyed use, researchers were only able to see a link to high levels of phthalates in douches.
The product, which is readily available pre-packed at stores, also contains ingredients such as iodine, baking soda or vinegar. It is squirted through a plastic tube into the vagina.
"No woman should be douching unless instructed by a health care provider to treat a specific vaginal infection, so there is no point in reading the labels," said Sten Vermund of Vanderbilt University Medical Center in the Reuters report. "That's like saying 'What cigarette should I buy?' when the point is not to buy any."
The study was published in the journal Environmental Health.
