QUESTION: I need the answer to a question that is not discussed too frequently in columns like yours.
I would like to know if douching with products found in the drugstore are safe? My girlfriend claims she read that these products are the cause of PID (pelvic inflammatory disease), and I don't need more trouble than I already have.
Would you please answer this question for me?
ANSWER: 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 that there is some link between PID and douching, but it is not considered to be cause-effect relationship.
Douching may be used more frequently by woman who have multiple sexual partners, use this as a means of contraception or birth control (it is not), hope that it will prevent catching sexually transmitted disease (it won't), or to relieve symptoms of an already existing infection.
It for this reason we find that both douching and PID may exist in the same populations, but this fact alone does not establish a one to one tie.
Nor does everyone who does use this method of feminine cleanliness have some particular worry relating to their own sex life.
Since it seems as if you might wish to use douching for yourself, it is important to become fully informed.
Speak to your own doctor about the correct method, and ask counsel about products. Read the labels most carefully, and stick to the instructions that are provided.
If PID is a worry in your life, then openly ask your doctor about the disease, and find out just what the risk factors are and how to take precautions against Sexually Transmitted Disease, 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.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
