Vaginal douching practices among Turkish married women

The effects of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model-based educational program on genital hygiene behaviors: A randomized controlled trial

In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model-based educational program on women's genital hygiene behaviors. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 120 women diagnosed with genital infections and assigned to the experimental (n = 60) and control (n = 60) groups. Educational intervention was designed based on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model and implemented in the experimental group. Data were collected three times before (pretest), right after (posttest) and 1 month after the intervention using the personal information form, Data Form for Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs about Genital Hygiene and Genital Hygiene Behaviors Inventory (GHBI). After the educational intervention, the participants' hygiene-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors improved in the experimental group at the posttest and follow-up test from the baseline. A statistically significant difference was found between the groups. We concluded that PRECEDE-PROCEED model-based educational program positively affected the women's genital hygiene-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors.

Understanding Women's Vaginal Douching Behaviors and Practices for Consideration in the Development of a Potential Future Vaginal Microbicide Douche for HIV Prevention: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Despite clinicians consistently advising against vaginal douching, 29-92% of women worldwide report douching. This review documents women's douching practices, motivations for douching, and specific associations (or absence of associations) between vaginal douche use and vaginal outcomes thought to be associated with douching. Understanding women's existing douching behaviors and vaginal health outcomes is critical for developing a safe vaginal microbicide douche that can be used as HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). A vaginal douche as PrEP could help prevent new HIV infections, since emerging evidence shows some women discontinue oral PrEP. We performed a systematic review of the literature using the guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Articles included in the analysis (N = 48) were published 2009-2019 in English and focused on women's experiences with douching. Two trained independent reviewers assessed these articles for content on vaginal douching, including racial/ethnic focus of studies, study design, sampling, women's reasons for douching, contents of douche solutions, and associations between vaginal douching and vaginal health outcomes. Several studies focused on Black women (N = 12 studies) or had no racial/ethnic focus (N = 12). Just over half of all studies (N = 24) were cross-sectional and involved a self-reported questionnaire and lab samples. Studies sampled women from health clinics where they were (N = 13) or were not (N = 14) presenting for vaginal health complaints. Women's primary motivation for douching was for "general cleanliness" (N = 13), and most douche solutions contained water (N = 12). There was little empirical agreement between vaginal douche use and most vaginal health outcomes. Future studies of PrEP vaginal douches should be well controlled and prioritize safety to ensure positive vaginal health outcomes.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Vaginal Douching Among Secondary School Girls in a Metropolitan City in Ogun State, Nigeria

STUDY OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with vaginal douching among secondary school girls in a metropolitan city in Ogun State, Nigeria.

DESIGN

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out using a semi-structured interviewer-assisted questionnaire adapted from previous studies.

SETTING

Eight secondary schools in a metropolitan city of Ogun State.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 818 secondary school girls aged 10-19 years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The outcome of interest was the association between vaginal douching (lifetime) with demographic characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics of respondents' parents, source of information on douching (eg, family members, teachers), and perception about douching and its health consequences.

RESULTS

Mean age of the respondents was 13.9 ± 1.9 years. Most (72.7%) respondents were from co-educational schools; 62.5% were from public schools; 53.2% were day students; and majority (82.0%) were from nuclear families. Prevalence of vaginal douching was 63.8% and the predictors of the practice were respondents' age (OR, 0.2; 95% CI = 0.063-0.603), family setting (OR = 0.4; 95% CI = 0.221-0.819), fathers' occupation (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.312-0.953), main source of douching information (OR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.370-4.192), and perception about douching and its health consequences (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.403-3.523 and OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.236-3.187 respectively).

CONCLUSION

Vaginal douching was prevalent among secondary school adolescent girls in the study area. Factors associated with the practice include age, family setting, fathers' occupation, source of information on douching, perception about douching practice, and perceived health consequences of the practice.

Feminine hygiene practices among female patients and nurses in Lebanon

BACKGROUND

Inappropriate feminine hygiene practices are related to vulvovaginitis. We investigated the prevalence of personal hygiene habits among Lebanese women as well as their awareness of adequate practices.

METHODS

Consists of a cross-sectional observational study. Female patients and nurses at Hotel-Dieu de France University Hospital in Beirut- Lebanon filled a questionnaire about their intimate hygiene habits and knowledge of proper practices.

RESULTS

The study included 249 women. 21.3 % of the 136 nurses and 38.9 % of the 113 patients reported a history of vulvovaginitis. The majority of women took an intimate bath at least twice daily. 14 % of nurses and 17 % of patients douched.20. Seven percent of the nurses and 43.4 % of the patients used wet wipes. 1.5 % of nurses and 4.4 % of patients used feminine deodorant sprays. There was a significant lack of awareness mainly among patients about suitable hygiene practices as well for their adverse effects.

CONCLUSION

Education provided by nurses, and other healthcare providers is essential to promote reproductive health among Lebanese women.

Jewish Law, Scarcity of Sperm Donors and the Consequent Private Import of Sperm of Non-Jews by Israeli Women

AIM

The objective of this article is to explore how Israeli Jewish women cope with the religious prohibition on sperm donation and the scarcity of Israeli donors, and to estimate the number of available sperm donors in Israel.

METHODS

A key word search was employed to retrieve relevant Hebrew and English sources; additional information was collected via interviews with two sperm donors and twelve donor insemination patients.

RESULTS

Rabbinical instructions focus on married women and refrain from acknowledging the growing number of non-married donor insemination patients. Non-married women follow the restrictions relevant to married women and hence refrain from purchasing Jewish sperm. Israeli sperm banks offer donations of Jewish donors whose number is estimated at a maximum of 140 and a minimum of 50 for the entire Jewish population of 6.2 million. In order to abide by American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommendations, the number of available donors should optimally be six times larger. The scarcity of sperm donors drives the private import of American sperm donations.

CONCLUSION

Reconsideration of the rabbinical prohibition to allow collecting sperm for donating to women who wish to have a baby is needed for the sake of increasing the donor pool, along with measures to ensure donors' privacy and dignity. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Assessment of cervical cancer risk in women between 15 and 49 years of age: case of Izmir

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to determine risk factors for cervical cancer for women in Izmir.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, descriptive field covered a population of 4319 women of reproductive age (15-49) (household registration in the Mukhtar's office-2007). A total of 1,637 women were included in the sample given a four-part questionnaire through face-to-face interview by visiting the women in their homes in order to determine socio-demographic factors, obstetric history, genital hygiene and the use of family planning methods. In addition, during the data collection process, the women were given group training in order to raise awareness of cervical cancer. The number and percentage distributions of the data were calculated.

RESULTS

While the average age of the women was 31.9±9.77 (Min: 15.00-Max: 49.00), education level of 43.4% of them was elementary school only. It was determined that 70.3% of the women experienced at least one pregnancy, 71.0% had vaginal delivery and 75.9% used a contraceptive method. In the study it was determined that among the cervical cancer related risks vaginal delivery, vaginal lavage and having three or more pregnancies had the highest rates, while having sexual intercourse before 16 years of age and having more than one sexual partner constituted lower rates. The rate of the women who stated not having a smear in the last three years was 82.4%.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the case in terms of having Pap smear test, women's awareness on the risk factors and early diagnosis of cervical cancer was found to be low. Due to this reason, awareness of women has to be raised through education.

Ethnicity, family socioeconomic inequalities, and prevalence of vaginal douching among college students: the implication for health

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the association between ethnicity and family socioeconomic status (SES) as it relates to the prevalence of vaginal douching among female undergraduates in a university community.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional survey conducted between September 2011 and February 2012 among 1,535 female undergraduates using a semistructured behavioral questionnaire adapted by the authors from previous research related to vaginal douching practice.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of vaginal douching was 79.35% and the practice was significantly associated with the mother's age, ethnicity, low SES (educational level, occupation, and monthly income), and area of residence. The father's age and SES were statistically nonsignificant.

CONCLUSION

Ethnicity and low SES of mothers were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of douching in daughters. These factors should be considered among others in any intervention to discourage vaginal douching among college women.