Q. It’s almost as if you writers were afraid of the word, but I have never seen an article on douching. Yet, it is an important part of many women’s lives. I need to know if over-the-counter products can in any way cause an inflammatory disease within the tubes. I have heard this is the case and need an authoritative response.
A. This question, involving feminine hygiene, certainly does deserve an answer, and I have no problem responding to you in this column. The simple answer is that when commercially prepared douching products are used as directed, and for the purposes indicated in the product literature, they pose no special problems for the user.
It is possible there is some link between an inflammatory disease (known as pelvic inflammatory disease or PID) and douching, but it is not considered to be a cause-and-effect relationship.
Douching may be used more frequently by women who have multiple sexual partners, as a means of contraception or birth control (it is not), in the hope it will prevent catching sexually transmitted disease (it won’t), or in the hope it will relieve symptoms of an already existing infection.
It may be for these reasons that we find douching and PID exist in the same populations, but this fact alone does not establish a one-to-one relationship. Nor does everyone who uses this method of feminine cleanliness have a particular worry relating to their sex life.
Since it seems you might wish to use a douche, it is important to become fully informed. Speak to your doctor about the correct method and seek advice about products. Read the labels carefully and stick to the instructions provided.
If PID is a worry in your life, then openly ask your doctor about the disease. Find out what the risk factors are and how to take precautions against sexually transmitted diseases–the types of infections that often lead to PID. Now that I have made the first attempt to provide you with the information you requested, the next important steps are up to you.
Although the contention that silicone breast implants were a cause of immune disease made headlines when originally announced, the events that have transpired since have gained little attention.
The average person today believes there is a danger from silicone implants, though study after study has failed to show any connection to immune disease.
Dr. Elizabeth Connell, professor of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine, who headed two Food and Drug Administration panels investigating silicone breast implants, urged lifting the ban in a recent address at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.
Citing growing evidence that shows no relationship between so-called autoimmune disease and the implants, Connell condemned physicians who testify “to virtually anything for money.”
She also urged physicians to reassure those women who still have implants and are living in fear and to tell them that recent evidence from many American, British and other studies confirm the safety of the implants.
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