Generality
The vaginal lavages are used to wash or clean the vagina, taking advantage of the cleaning action of a liquid jet directed towards the inner walls of this musculomembrane channel. For this purpose simple devices are used, inserting in the vagina a rubber cannula connected to a bag or peretta containing the liquid to be irrigated.
When to use them?
Vaginal lavages or showers are readily available and do not normally require medical prescription, which instead becomes necessary for the purchase of specific lavages to be used for therapeutic purposes or in preparation for some diagnostic tests.
Women resort to vaginal lavages for various reasons, such as to remove menstrual residues, eliminate bad smells or for psychological reasons (obsessive intimate hygiene, desire to "cancel" the sexual relationship just ended, etc.).
Even today, some women naively use vaginal lavages, after sexual intercourse, for contraception or to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases; in reality both practices are useless and potentially dangerous. The substances dissolved in the liquid with which the vaginal environment is irrigated can in fact upset the local microflora, which is very important for preventing infections.
The impoverishment of useful bacteria can therefore favor the engraftment of pathogens and their ascent into the uterus and the tubes, exposing the internal genitals to the risk of severe infections (the consequences can be very serious, such as the feared pelvic inflammatory disease). For the same reason it is wrong to resort to vaginal showers to eliminate unpleasant odors, which should instead be submitted to the attention of the doctor or gynecologist (they are common in the presence of bacterial vaginosis and Gardnerella infection). During an intimate lavender there is also the risk of introducing into the vagina any harmful bacteria located on the surface of the cannula.
The contraceptive efficacy of vaginal lavages is very modest, estimated at 15-30%, against 97-98% of the condom used correctly. Even the spermicidal vaginal showers cannot be considered a valid contraceptive tool.
According to the above, vaginal irrigation is a practice not recommended by many gynecologists, who reserve the use to treat certain conditions, such as chronic infections of bacterial or fungal origin. In this case medicated liquids are used, prescribed by the doctor and used under his strict control.
Vaginal hygiene
Genital hygiene must be entrusted to the simple combination of lukewarm water and mild soap, such as that of Marseilles, or of specific formulations with physiological pH (which at vaginal level is, during the fertile age, slightly acidic, around 4 - 4, 5). Not all cosmetic products are recommended, such as sprays, perfumes, powders or foams not specifically tested for intimate hygiene; the risk of irritation or allergic reactions would be high.
Washing is a good idea to start from the vagina and descend towards the anus, not vice versa because this maneuver would favor the contact of fecal bacteria with the external genitals.
Vaginal lavages and sexually transmitted diseases
We have already mentioned the uselessness and danger of using vaginal lavages to prevent venereal diseases. When these pathologies become manifest they generally produce characteristic symptoms, such as leucorrhoea and itching, irritation, redness, burning and vulvar-vaginal pain (sometimes amplified by sexual intercourse). In these cases, using a vaginal lavage to flush out abnormal leaks can not only aggravate the infectious process but can delay the medical diagnosis.
If something is not right, the gynecologist must be alerted as soon as possible; Woe to hope that the disease regresses spontaneously or resolves with a simple vaginal lavage. Although in the early stages the symptoms are particularly modest, in the long run some venereal diseases can produce devastating consequences, such as infertility, increased risk of ectopic pregnancies and pain, even of strong intensity, in the lower abdomen and pelvis.
