Does vaginal douching affect the risk of vaginal infections in pregnant women?
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the relationship between vaginal douching and vaginal infections among women in early pregnancy.


METHODS
We conducted this study in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Family Planning Center, Dr. E. Hayri Ustundag Hospital, Izmir, Turkey, between March 2003 and December 2004. We examined the vaginal swabs of 129 women, asking for termination of pregnancy in a family-planning center as both wet-preparations and cultures for vaginal microorganisms, and recorded the informations on women's vaginal douching habit.


RESULTS
Among 129 women examined, 80 had at least one type of vaginal microorganisms. Of 67 vaginal douche users, 48 (71.6%) had at least one type of vaginal organisms, whereas of 62 nonusers, only 32 (51.6%) had microorganism, although age, educational status, coital frequency, age at the first intercourse were not statistically different between the vaginal douche-users and non-users. Especially, Group B Streptococcus (GBS), Enterococcus spp. and Candida spp. were found more frequent in vaginal douche-user women.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that vaginal douching tends pregnant women to genital tract the incidence of vaginal infections, especially those caused by Enterococcus spp. and GBS. As such infections may render such women to high risk in terms of perinatal mortality and morbidity, it would be appropriate to discourage vaginal douching in pregnant women.
Sakru
Nermin
N
Department of Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology, Trakya University Medical School Hospital, Edirne, Turkey.
Inceboz
Tonay
T
Inceboz
Umit
U
Zeren
Isil
I
Karakus
Melahat
M
Kirca
Uzeyir
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000209:etiology*; D014623:Vaginal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D044364:Vaginal Douching / Q000009:adverse effects*