8 Misconceptions about Women's Vaginal Douching

There are more and more cleaning liquids on the market now, and the advertising industry is very popular. Many times, female friends are misled into thinking that as long as they insist on using these cleaning liquids, they can effectively prevent sexually transmitted diseases. You are wrong. These private cleaning products cannot wash away pathogenic substances by flushing the vagina, let alone prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Myth 1: Using health-related private cleaning products will destroy your own defense function

Some women are worried that health-related private cleaning products will destroy their own defense functions and induce inflammation. In fact, this is a misunderstanding. As long as the pH value of such products is between 4-4.5, which is close to the pH value of the human body, it will not cause damage. Of course, it must be cleaned thoroughly.

Myth 2: Private shower gel can prevent sexually transmitted diseases

Whether it is a private cleaning product with "medical" or "health" prefix, it cannot prevent sexually transmitted diseases. The gonococci that cause gonorrhea, the Treponema pallidum that causes syphilis, the papillomavirus that causes genital warts, etc. can be transmitted directly to the cervix and even enter the uterine cavity. Therefore, flushing the vagina with various private cleaning products afterwards cannot wash away these pathogenic substances.

To prevent sexually transmitted diseases, the best way is to keep yourself clean or use condoms. In short, private cleaning products cannot prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Myth 3: Are Chinese herbal lotions safer?

Although Chinese herbal medicine has the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying and reducing inflammation, it should also be used under the guidance of a doctor. Moreover, Chinese herbal medicines have a short shelf life and are prone to spoilage and mold. Such private cleaning products may be harmful after use. Especially now, some unscrupulous pharmaceutical companies add chemical ingredients to traditional Chinese medicine private parts cleaning products to achieve certain therapeutic purposes, which should arouse the vigilance of consumers and related patients.

Myth 4: It can help women prevent inflammation

When it comes to vaginal care, many people take it for granted that keeping it clean, hygienic, and washing and changing it frequently will definitely be the right thing to do. Therefore, if the vagina feels not dry and comfortable enough, it is rinsed and washed with liquid. This is a habitual action for many women, and some even insist on doing vaginal douching every day. Little do people know that this is a big misunderstanding. In fact, the vagina of a healthy woman is just like her mouth, with dozens of kinds of bacteria breeding in it normally, but they remain safe because of the existence of vaginal "guards". Lactobacillus is one of the "guardians". It can break down the glycogen in the vaginal cells into lactic acid, thereby maintaining a certain acidity in the vagina and limiting the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria.

However, ingredients such as vinegar, water, and antibacterial agents in vaginal washes often kill the bacteria that protect the human body while flushing harmful bacteria out of the vagina, thereby destroying the local acidic environment and making it impossible for the vagina to protect itself. What’s worse is that if the wrong method is used during the flushing process, the bacteria will take the opportunity to “hitch a ride” and travel deep into the vagina or even the uterus.

Myth 5: It can prevent conception

Some people perform vaginal douching to prevent conception, but this is just a cover-up. After ejaculation, sperm can reach the uterine cavity through the cervical canal within a few minutes. When the woman is carefully flushing, the "vanguard" of the sperm "army" has already entered the uterine cavity to "set up camp".

Myth 6: Can effectively remove odors

Other women perform vaginal douching to eliminate odor. In fact, what many people think of as vaginal odor is just the natural smell of the vagina. This odor is a sign of good health and there is no need to worry about it. Look at it from another perspective, even if the vagina does produce an odor, flushing alone will not be enough. Because flushing can only maintain the odor-free state for a short period of time, if the cause is not eliminated, the odor will soon return.

Myth 7: Potassium permanganate private cleaning products are more thorough in disinfection

Under normal circumstances, there are a large number of vaginal lactobacilli in the vagina. They can break down the glycogen stored in the cells into lactic acid, forming an acidic environment in the vagina that is not conducive to the growth and reproduction of various pathogenic bacteria. If potassium permanganate solution is used frequently for cleaning, a large number of vaginal lactobacilli will be killed and the acidity will change, thus destroying this line of defense. Pathogenic bacteria will take advantage of the opportunity to enter and cause gynecological diseases.

If potassium permanganate is used for too long, the skin will become dry and easily cause skin itching. If it is not diluted according to the standard, the concentration exceeds 1:5000 or the powder is not completely dissolved, once it comes into contact with the vulva, it will corrode the delicate skin and mucous membranes.

Myth 8: Cervical erosion should be treated with a large amount of private cleaning products

When treating cervical erosion, attention should be paid to repairing damaged vaginal mucosal tissue and restoring the self-cleaning system. During care and treatment, the vaginal mucosa should be protected and the self-cleaning system should be maintained. Therefore, during the treatment of cervical erosion, it is not advisable to use a large amount of irritating vaginal washing fluid. It is especially important to keep the vulva and vagina clean and dry during the treatment of cervical erosion. The use of washing fluid is generally not recommended, otherwise it is easy to cause local infection.

Expert reminder:

1. Most ordinary shower gels and soaps are alkaline, with a pH value basically above 7, which can easily destroy the weak acid environment of the vagina and cause gynecological diseases.

2. Women with symptoms of private area diseases should choose private area cleaning products under the guidance of a doctor. If necessary, they should choose "drug-marked" OTC or prescription private area cleaning products. They should not buy them casually. Only simple daily care can be done, which cannot effectively resist STDs!