Vaginal douching practices among women who have sex with women in Tanzania: Reported origins, frequency, motivations and public health implications

Vaginal douching (VD) is widely practiced by women and sexually active girls all over the globe; and practices include flushing out the inside of the vagina with water or a solution of water mixed with vinegar, baking soda, iodine, lime/lemon juice, yogurt or homemade concoctions. Women practice VD for various reasons including: to increase sexual pleasure; learnt the practices from their mothers, female relatives, and friends; advised to douche by health care providers; conforming to religious rituals, and commercial advertisements on the media. We conducted a qualitative formative study with women who have sex with women (WSW) in Tanzania using a case of Dar-es-Salaam city. Findings indicate that WSW practice VD due to the perceived link between intravaginal practices and feminine hygiene, protection against (or cure of) vaginal infections, feminine functions, feminine attractiveness and partners’ demand. Majority of the WSW are unaware of VD health risks and are likely to practice it for the rest of their lives. We recommend further multidisciplinary (public health) research among women and sexually active girls to establish comprehensive and informative VD data on origins, motivations and health-risks to inform public health VD interventions in this country.