Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of the National Medical Association logoLink to Journal of the National Medical Association
. 1989 Feb;81(2):159–165.

Vaginal douching as a possible risk factor for pelvic inflammatory disease.

K A Forrest, A E Washington, J R Daling, R L Sweet
PMCID: PMC2625960  PMID: 2659806

Abstract

To prevent pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and its consequences, risk factors must be identified. A review of the literature supports the possibility that vaginal douching may affect the risk factor of PID, and new data are presented on douching practices of women hospitalized with PID. Individual case reports and controlled studies support associations between vaginal douching and both PID and ectopic pregnancy. The prevalence and distribution of douching are also compatible with a possible association. The temporal pattern of PID symptoms may be linked to douching and menses. The nature of the douche solution and the douching technique may be important variables with regard to douching as a PID risk factor. A case-control epidemiologic study is recommended to clarify the relationships between PID and douching.

Full text

PDF
159

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Amstey M. S., Jones A. P. Preparation of the vagina for surgery. A comparison of povidone-iodine and saline solution. JAMA. 1981 Feb 27;245(8):839–841. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ashai S., Lipton D., Colon A., Niebyl J. R. Letter: Pneumoperitoneum secondary to cunnilingus. N Engl J Med. 1976 Jul 8;295(2):117–117. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197607082950235. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beaton J. H., Gibson F., Roland M. Short-term use of a medicated douche preparation in the symptomatic treatment of minor vaginal irritation, in some cases associated with infertility. Int J Fertil. 1984;29(2):109–112. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Blount J. H., Reynolds G. H., Rice R. J. Pelvic inflammatory disease: incidence and trends in private practice. MMWR CDC Surveill Summ. 1983;32(4):27SS–34SS. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chow W. H., Daling J. R., Weiss N. S., Moore D. E., Soderstrom R. Vaginal douching as a potential risk factor for tubal ectopic pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1985 Dec 1;153(7):727–729. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(85)90332-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. EGENOLF G. F., MCNAUGHTON R. H. Chemical peritonitis resulting from vaginal douche; report of a case. Obstet Gynecol. 1956 Jan;7(1):23–24. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Eschenbach D. A., Harnisch J. P., Holmes K. K. Pathogenesis of acute pelvic inflammatory disease: role of contraception and other risk factors. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1977 Aug 15;128(8):838–850. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(77)90051-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Friedrich E. G., Jr Vaginitis. Am Fam Physician. 1983 Nov;28(5):238–242. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Furr P. M., Taylor-Robinson D. The killing of Ureaplasma urealyticum and Mycoplasma hominis by povidone-iodine. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1980 Mar;6(2):225–230. doi: 10.1093/jac/6.2.225. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. GERSHENFELD L. Povidone-iodine (PVP-I) as a vaginal microbicide. Am J Pharm Sci Support Public Health. 1962 Aug;134:278–291. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HIRST D. V. Dangers of improper vaginal douching. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1952 Jul;64(1):179–183. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)38750-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Holmes K. K., Eschenbach D. A., Knapp J. S. Salpingitis: overview of etiology and epidemiology. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1980 Dec 1;138(7 Pt 2):893–900. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(80)91078-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Moore D. E., Spadoni L. R., Foy H. M., Wang S. P., Daling J. R., Kuo C. C., Grayston J. T., Eschenbach D. A. Increased frequency of serum antibodies to Chlamydia trachomatis in infertility due to distal tubal disease. Lancet. 1982 Sep 11;2(8298):574–577. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(82)90659-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Neumann H. H., DeCherney A. Letter: Douching and pelvic inflammatory disease. N Engl J Med. 1976 Sep 30;295(14):789–789. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197609302951421. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Obaidullah M. A study to determine the effect of Betadine Vaginal Cleansing Kit on cervical flora after insertion of an intra-uterine contraceptive device. J Int Med Res. 1981;9(3):161–164. doi: 10.1177/030006058100900301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Partridge A. J. Fatal Air Embolism after Vaginal Insufflation. Br Med J. 1943 Sep 11;2(4314):329–329. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.4314.329-a. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Reeve P. The inactivation of Chlamydia trachomatis by povidone-iodine. J Antimicrob Chemother. 1976 Mar;2(1):77–80. doi: 10.1093/jac/2.1.77. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Ringrose C. A. Vaginal douching and pelvic inflammatory disease. N Engl J Med. 1976 Dec 2;295(23):1319–1319. doi: 10.1056/nejm197612022952316. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. SHOOK D. M. A clinical study of a povidone-iodine regimen for resistant vaginitis. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 1963 May;5:256–263. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Snow L. F. Traditional health beliefs and practices among lower class black Americans. West J Med. 1983 Dec;139(6):820–828. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Stock R. J., Stock M. E., Hutto J. M. Vaginal douching. Current concepts and practices. Obstet Gynecol. 1973 Jul;42(1):141–146. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sweet R. L., Blankfort-Doyle M., Robbie M. O., Schacter J. The occurrence of chlamydial and gonococcal salpingitis during the menstrual cycle. JAMA. 1986 Apr 18;255(15):2062–2064. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sweet R. L., Draper D. L., Hadley W. K. Etiology of acute salpingitis: influence of episode number and duration of symptoms. Obstet Gynecol. 1981 Jul;58(1):62–68. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Washington A. E., Arno P. S., Brooks M. A. The economic cost of pelvic inflammatory disease. JAMA. 1986 Apr 4;255(13):1735–1738. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Washington A. E., Cates W., Jr, Zaidi A. A. Hospitalizations for pelvic inflammatory disease. Epidemiology and trends in the United States, 1975 to 1981. JAMA. 1984 May 18;251(19):2529–2533. doi: 10.1001/jama.251.19.2529. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Weström L. Incidence, prevalence, and trends of acute pelvic inflammatory disease and its consequences in industrialized countries. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1980 Dec 1;138(7 Pt 2):880–892. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(80)91077-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of the National Medical Association are provided here courtesy of National Medical Association

RESOURCES