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A douche (IPA: [du:ʃ]) is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself. The word comes from the French language, in which its principal meaning is a shower (it is thus a notorious false friend encountered by non-native speakers of English). The word can refer to the rinsing of any body cavity but usually applies to vaginal irrigation, rinsing of the vagina. A douche bag is a piece of equipment for douching: a bag for holding the water or fluid used in douching (the term douche bag can also be used as an insult; see below for slang uses). To avoid transferring intestinal bacteria into the vagina, the same bag must not be used for a vaginal douche and an enema.
Overview
Vaginal douching has a variety of perceived benefits. In addition to promising to clean the vagina of unwanted odors, it can also be used by women who wish to avoid smearing a sexual partner's penis with menstrual blood while having intercourse during menstruation. In the past, douching was also used after intercourse as a method of birth control, though it is not very effective (see below).
Most people suggest that douching is generally not a good idea, as the vagina is self-cleaning and douching interferes with the natural bacterial culture of the vagina, and it might spread or introduce infections . For example, the U.S. Department of Health strongly discourages douching, warning that it can lead to irritation, bacterial vaginosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease .
Douches may consist of water, water mixed with vinegar, or even antiseptic chemicals. Frequent douching with water may result in an imbalance of the pH of the vagina, and thus may put women at risk for possible vaginal infections.
Antiseptics may result in an imbalance of the natural bacteria in the vagina, also resulting in an increased likelihood of infection. Furthermore, unclean douching equipment may also introduce undesirable foreign bodies into the vagina. For these reasons, the practice of douching is now generally discouraged, unless under medical guidance.
Douching after intercourse is estimated to reduce the chances of conception by only 15-25%. In comparison, proper condom use reduces the chance of conception by as much as 97%. In some cases douching may force the ejaculate further into the vagina, increasing the chance of pregnancy.
The practice of douching is now largely restricted to the United States , where douching equipment is often available in pharmacies. It is estimated that 20 to 40 percent of American women aged 15 to 44 years douche regularly . About half of these women douche every week. Many European women douche but because of the confusion with the French meaning that a douche is a shower, it is called vaginal irrigation.
The irrigation of the anus is also known as an enema.
Slang uses
Terms such as shower pocket, douchebag, d-bag, DB or simply douche are popular terms of insult or ridicule in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. The slang usage of the term dates back to the 60s. Initially, it was used to insult a woman. The origin of the use of the term as an insult is derived from lesbian activities. However, over time it has become a term for either gender.
An example of this term used in an insulting manner would be "K-Fed is a Douche Bag!", illustrated on an episode of Family Guy.
It is a common insult on the stop-action animation television show, Robot Chicken.
The term has become a common term in some forms of popular culture.
See also
References
External links
- Advertisements for Lysol as a douche, from 1928 and 1948
- Governmental FAQ