Women's douching practices and related attitudes: findings from four focus groups.

PURPOSE: Vaginal douching is a common hygiene practice for many U.S. women, but is associated with several health risks. Little is known about the beliefs and attitudes that promote and maintain douching practices. This qualitative study, consisting of four focus groups of 31 southern women, was conducted to gather in-depth information about attitudes and beliefs associated with douching. The focus groups consisted of separate groups of low-income and middle-income Caucasian and African-American women.
RESULTS: The African-Americans and low-income Caucasians were more likely to douche than middle-income Caucasians. The participants reported douching after menstruation, after sexual intercourse, and at other times for cleanliness and odor control. Concern about odor and cleanliness was a recurrent theme, and douching was represented as an expected and necessary part of feminine hygiene. Several socioeconomic and racial differences were observed in douching practices and attitudes.
CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary information about women's douching practices and attitudes that may inform practitioners' educational efforts and future research.