Early onset of vaginal douching is associated with false beliefs and high-risk behavior

Vaginal douching in young women has been linked to a variety of adverse reproductive health consequences.

To explore associations with early onset (< or =15 years old) of douching.

A confidential survey was self-administered to convenience samples of women attending seven primary care clinics.

The mean age of the 726 evaluable participants was 27.9 years (ranges, 14-63 years). Twenty-two percent of participants believed douching "kills germs that cause infections," and 27% agreed that "women believe douching prevents pregnancy." A history of having ever used douching products was reported by 73%. Of those who had douched, 24% began the practice at age < or =15 years. Compared with those who began at a later age, those who began at age < or =15 years were also more likely to have begun sexual intercourse under 16 years of age (AOR 2.63; P<0.001), to believe that douching kills germs that cause STDs (AOR=2.15 P=0.004), and to currently douche more than once per month (AOR=2.08; P=0.009).

This study indicates that early onset of vaginal douching is associated with false beliefs and sexual debut at younger age.