A qualitative study of women’s experiences of vaginal douching in Türkiye

Abstract

Vaginal douching, a practice that has existed for many years, is defined as the process of intravaginal cleansing using a liquid solution. Despite its negative consequences with respect to health, vaginal douching is widely practised in many countries. This study sought to examine the vaginal douching experiences of women in the southeastern region of Türkiye. We used a phenomenological approach with semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted between January and June 2022. Participants were 20 women who either currently practised vaginal douching or had stopped practising it at some point in their lives. The women were admitted to the obstetrics and gynaecology outpatient clinic of a district state hospital in Eastern Turkey for care and treatment. The data collected from the respondents were categorised into five thematic areas: sources of information about douching; reasons for doing so; as well as frequency, methods, and feelings about douching. The findings provide a rich source of information about each of these areas. These findings may help inform future studies on the prevention of vaginal douching in women.