Educate about douching to discourage intergenerational transfer of invalid information.(Gynecology)

NEW ORLEANS -- Despite the growing consensus that douching can threaten gynecologic health, the practice is not widely discouraged by health care providers, results of a small survey suggest.

Furthermore, 73% of the 57 women surveyed (all douched or had practiced douching at some point) said they had encouraged or would encourage the girl or girls they were parenting to douche, Richard Rupp, M.D., reported in a poster that was presented during the annual meeting of the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.

The women, who were recruited from a university-based teen clinic, were the mothers, grandmothers, or aunts of girls aged 11-21 years. The women ranged in age from 30 to 68 years (mean age 41 years).

More than half (53%) were African American, 28% were non-Hispanic white, 17% were Hispanic, and 2% were of other ethnicities, reported Dr. Rupp of the University of Texas, Galveston.

The women were questioned about their personal douching history, beliefs about douching, and any discussions they had or planned to have with the girls regarding the practice. Douching frequency was once every 2 months or less in 20% of respondents, once or twice each month in 66% of respondents, and at least once each week in 14% of respondents.

All except one of the 57 women had discussed or planned to discuss douching with the girl or girls they were parenting.

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