Penggunaan douche vagina dilaporkan berbahaya karena dapat meningkatkan risiko bacterial vaginosis, kandidiasis vulvovaginal yang berulang, penyakit menular seksual, penyakit radang panggul, dan infertilitas. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist atau ACOG tidak menyarankan penggunaan douche vagina.[1]
Di masa lalu, tujuan penggunaan douche vagina adalah untuk mengurangi bakteri yang tidak diinginkan pada vagina. Sayangnya, douche tidak hanya membunuh bakteri yang tidak diinginkan, tetapi juga membunuh mikroflora yang menguntungkan pada vagina seperti Lactobacillus sp. Hal ini justru meningkatkan risiko infeksi.[2,3]
Sampai saat ini, beberapa wanita masih menggunakan douche vagina karena alasan kebersihan, pencegahan infeksi genital, budaya membersihkan alat kelamin sebelum atau sesudah hubungan seksual, pencegahan leukorrhea, dan pengurangan bau tidak sedap. Padahal, menurut berbagai studi, douche vagina berhubungan dengan risiko infeksi, gangguan fertilitas, gangguan kehamilan, dan kanker serviks.[4-6]
(Konten ini khusus untuk dokter. Registrasi untuk baca selengkapnya)
Referensi
1. Martino JL, Vermund SH. Vaginal douching: evidence for risks or benefits to women’s health. Epidemiologic Reviews. 2002 Dec 1;24(2):109-24. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2567125/
2. Fashemi B, Delaney ML, Onderdonk AB, Fichorova RN. Effects of feminine hygiene products on the vaginal mucosal biome. Microbial ecology in health and disease. 2013 Dec 1;24(1):19703. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24009546
3. Yıldırım R, Vural G, Koçoğlu E. Effect of vaginal douching on vaginal flora and genital infection. J Turk Ger Gynecol Assoc. 2020 Mar 6;21(1):29-34. doi: 10.4274/jtgga.galenos.2019.2018.0133
4. Bui TC, Thai TN, Tran LT, et al. Association between vaginal douching and genital human papillomavirus infection among women in the United States. The Journal of infectious diseases. 2016 Aug 23;214(9):1370-5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27553042
5. Cottrell BH. An updated review of evidence to discourage douching. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2010 Mar-Apr;35(2):102-7; quiz 108-9. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0b013e3181cae9da
6. Thorp JM Jr, Dole N, Herring AH, et al. Alteration in vaginal microflora, douching prior to pregnancy, and preterm birth. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2008 Nov;22(6):530-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3016.2008.00970.x
7. National Health Service UK. Keeping your vagina clean and healthy. National Health Service. 2015. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/keeping-your-vagina-clean-and-healthy/
8. Aslan E, Bechelaghem N. To ‘douche’ or not to ‘douche’: hygiene habits may have detrimental effects on vaginal microbiota. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2018 Feb 12:1-4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29433363
9. Rothman KJ, Funch DP, Alfredson T, et al. Randomized field trial of vaginal douching, pelvic inflammatory disease and pregnancy. Epidemiology. 2003 May 1;14(3):340-8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12859036
10. Ranjit E, Raghubanshi BR, Maskey S, Parajuli P. Prevalence of Bacterial Vaginosis and Its Association with Risk Factors among Nonpregnant Women: A Hospital Based Study. International journal of microbiology. 2018;2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29692813
11. Yanikkerem E, Yasayan A. Vaginal douching practice: Frequency, associated factors and relationship with vulvovaginal symptoms. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association. 2016 Apr 1;66:387-92. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27122262
12. Low A, Didelot-Rousseau MN, Nagot N, et al. Cervical infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) 6 or 11 in high-risk women in Burkina Faso. Sexually transmitted infections. 2010 Oct 1;86(5):342-4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20410079
13. Lee H, Lee DH, Song YM, et al. Risk factors associated with human papillomavirus infection status in a Korean cohort. Epidemiology & Infection. 2014 Aug;142(8):1579-89. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24139383