Vaginal douching and reduced fertility

This study investigated douching and reduced fertility. The monthly probability of conception for douchers and nondouchers was compared in a sample of 840 married, parous women in King County, Washington. Data on the number of months required to conceive were analyzed. In comparison with nondouchers...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of public health (1971) 1996-06, Vol.86 (6), p.844-850
Main Authors: Baird, D D, Weinberg, C R, Voigt, L F, Daling, J R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Alcohol use
Biological and medical sciences
Birth control
Family income
Female
Fertility
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Humans
Hygiene
Infections
Infertility
Inflammatory diseases
Medical sciences
Menstruation
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Pregnancy
Pregnancy - statistics & numerical data
Proportional Hazards Models
Public health
Reduction
Relationship
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Sexual intercourse
Sterility. Assisted procreation
Surveys and Questionnaires
Therapeutic Irrigation - adverse effects
Therapeutic Irrigation - instrumentation
Therapeutic Irrigation - methods
Vagina
Vaginal douching
Women
Womens health
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Summary:This study investigated douching and reduced fertility. The monthly probability of conception for douchers and nondouchers was compared in a sample of 840 married, parous women in King County, Washington. Data on the number of months required to conceive were analyzed. In comparison with nondouchers, women who douched were 30% less likely to become pregnant each month they attempted pregnancy. This relationship remained after adjustment for covariates, and it could not be explained by women douching for medical reasons. The reduction was not related to the type of douching preparation used. Young women who douched had significantly greater reductions in monthly fertility than older women (50% reduction for women 18 to 24 years old, 29% reduction for women 25 to 29 years old, and 6% reduction for women 30 to 39 years old). Douching was associated with reduced fertility. Further research is needed to determine whether the relationship is casual and, if so, to what extent it is mediated by pelvic infection. In the meantime, women should be informed that douching may have adverse effects.
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.86.6.844