Do you douche your vagina with lotion for a long time? Is vaginal douching before and after intercourse and in daily life enough to prevent STDs? There is a concept involved here – the vaginal microecology. I hope reading this article will help you clear up these doubts. The vagina is the female reproductive organ and the channel through which menstruation is expelled and the fetus is delivered. The female vagina is a complex microecological system composed of the vaginal anatomy, microflora, local immunity and the endocrine regulation of the body. The female vagina is always warm and moist due to the leukorrhea secretions. This environment has important physiological functions, but at the same time, it is also the favorite place for many bacteria and viruses, which can take advantage of the dysbiosis of the vaginal flora. So, let’s learn more about the vaginal microecology today. What is vaginal microecology? Under normal circumstances, are there bacteria and other microorganisms in the vagina? Many of you may think that microorganisms are only found in the vagina of patients with vaginitis and that they do not exist under normal circumstances. First of all, this view is wrong! Microorganisms are everywhere. Although not visible to the naked eye, they are abundant in the air, in the soil, in the water, on our skin and hair, in our mouths and intestines, and the female vagina is no exception. Not only are they present, but they number more than 50 species, including: Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus, etc., as well as protozoa and mycoplasma in addition to bacteria. These microorganisms mainly reside on the mucous membrane of the lateral wall surrounding the vagina. They interact with each other in a hierarchical and orderly manner and colonize the epithelium of the vaginal mucosa, forming a biofilm (BF) together. Despite the presence of more than 50 microorganisms, most women are healthy thanks to the “vaginal micro-ecological balance”, specifically the defenders of the vagina, Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus accounts for more than 95% of vaginal microorganisms in healthy women and is the dominant bacterium in the vaginal flora, playing an important role in maintaining the health of the vaginal microecology and preventing vaginal infections. Studies have shown that Lactobacillus defends the vaginal health of women. It inhibits the growth of pathogenic microorganisms by producing lactic acid, secreting cytokinins, surface active substances and other antibacterial components, while preventing pathogenic microorganisms from adhering to vaginal epithelial cells through a competitive adhesion mechanism and stimulating the immune system to maintain the vaginal microecological balance. Effects of vaginal douching on vaginal microecology Some women like to douche their vagina with lotion, thinking that it can prevent STDs, regardless of vaginal abnormalities, and treating lotion as an everyday product. Vaginal douching does not rinse out or kill bacteria or viruses, so it does not prevent STDs. Moreover, taking vaginal irrigation every day will raise the pH of the vagina, which is not conducive to the growth of lactic acid bacteria and disrupts the normal balance. It will also make the vagina feel dry and uncomfortable, etc., making the vaginal environment more fragile and sensitive, and more prone to disease. Not only that, vaginal douching is also likely to flush the vaginal bacteria and viruses to deeper parts of the vagina, causing the latter to become infected. (This refers to douching inside the vagina, not scrubbing the vulva in general). So it’s not surprising that daily douching for cleanliness can lead to vaginitis. There are many reports showing that excessive vaginal douching increases the incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, premature birth and other gynecological disorders. This reminds me of a patient who came to my clinic last year. She had been taking antibiotics for years due to vaginal dysbiosis, and spent most of the year douching and stuffing her vagina with medication for eight or nine years, using more than 60 vaginal douches! So many drugs stimulated the mucous membrane to the point of extreme vulnerability, and the long period of time the disease remained untreated caused a very heavy psychological burden. I hope we can learn from her experience. In conclusion, microorganisms are everywhere, and the vagina is no exception. I hope you know that the balance of vaginal microorganisms is good for our health, so it is important not to disturb this balance under normal circumstances. Correct the wrong lifestyle, reduce the number of sexual partners, and use condoms every time and throughout sex with people you are not sure are safe; condoms are the most effective way to prevent STDs and AIDS.