Vaginal Douching: A Neglected Health Risk Behavior among Women and Sexually Active Adolescent Girls in Tanzania?

Abstract

Introduction: In this paper I present the public heath importance of vaginal douching or vaginal cleaning risk behavior among women and sexually active adolescent girls in Tanzania. I argue, vaginal douching control exclusion from sexually transmitted infections, human immunodeficiency virus and cervical cancer diagnosis, treatment and control guidelines explains, in part, why health professionals (physician, obstetricians and gynecologists) rarely advise their clients on this risk behavior. Similarly, this exclusion explains why there are limited research and (public) health interventions aiming at combating vaginal douching hazards among douching women and sexually active adolescent girls in this country. I recommend the Ministry of Health and (health) development partners to initiate, encourage and support health (medical and public health) research to generate comprehensive and informative multidisciplinary data on vaginal douching behaviors and practices and their impact to douching women‘s and sexually active adolescent girls‘ health and wellbeing. The goal is to generate data that would facilitate improving healthcare professionals ‘ability to diagnose, treat, control, and prevent vaginal douching-related health problems and illnesses among douching women, sexually active adolescent girls and the populace in Tanzania. Keywords: Vaginal douching, intravaginal practices, vaginal irrigation, (health) risk behavior, feminine hygiene, qualitative study, Tanzania.