ArticleJournal of epidemiology2010
Vaginal douching in Cambodian women: its prevalence and association with vaginal candidiasis.
Article in Journal of epidemiology, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- Feminine Intimate Hygiene: A Review of Healthy and Unhealthy Habits in Women.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Pooled it
- 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.AIDS and behavior · 2021Pooled it
- Intravaginal cleansing among women attending a sexually transmitted infection clinic in Kingston, Jamaica.The West Indian medical journal · 2013Trial
- Bridging the GAP: Probiotic Douches Redefining the Feminine Hygiene.Current pharmaceutical biotechnology · 2025Review
- Compliance with the Updated BASHH Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis Guidelines Improves Patient Outcomes.Journal of fungi (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- "Feeling clean": stigma and intravaginal practices among female entertainment workers in Cambodia.BMC women's health · 2021Article
- Candida vaginitis among symptomatic pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Mwanza, Tanzania.BMC research notes · 2019Article
- Exploring Hygienic Behaviors and Vulvodynia.Journal of lower genital tract disease · 2019Article
- Vaginal herb use andBMJ open · 2019Article
- Intravaginal practices and genital human papillomavirus infection among female sex workers in Cambodia.Journal of medical virology · 2018Article
- Quercus Brantii Lindl. Vaginal Douche Versus Clotrimazole on Vaginal Candidiasis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of pharmacopuncture · 2018Article
- Intravaginal Practices in Female Sex Workers in Cambodia: A Qualitative Study.Archives of sexual behavior · 2016Article
- Vulvovaginal Candidiasis in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, North-West Nigeria: Hospital-Based Epidemiological Study.Annals of medical and health sciences researchArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundWe determined the prevalence of vaginal douching (cleansing of the vagina with liquid) in a sample of Cambodian women, and examined the associations of douching with genitourinary symptoms and infections, after controlling for potential confounding factors, including genitourinary symptoms and sociodemographic factors.
methodsA total of 451 adolescent and adult females aged 15 to 49 years who attended 17 maternal and child health (MCH) clinics in 7 provinces of Cambodia in 2001 were consecutively enrolled as a part of the Sexually Transmitted Infection Sentinel Survey. Sociodemographic factors, genitourinary symptoms, and frequency of douching were assessed by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Vaginal infections were examined by using standard diagnostic procedures specific to each pathogen.
resultsThe proportion of participants who douched at least once a week was 76.7% (n = 346). Douching was significantly more prevalent in urban than in rural women (85.7%, n = 198 vs 67.3%, n = 148; P < 0.001). Frequency of douching was significantly associated with genitourinary symptoms, which were most prevalent in participants who douched from several times a week to once a day; genitourinary symptoms were less prevalent in those who douched more than once a day. Douching was significantly associated with vaginal candidiasis, but not with trichomoniasis or bacterial vaginosis, and this association persisted even after controlling for sociodemographic factors and genitourinary symptoms.
conclusionsVaginal douching was very common among Cambodian women visiting MCH clinics. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the reasons for douching. In addition, women should be informed that douching may endanger their reproductive health.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.