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Researchers have found that products
inserted vaginally can damage vaginal tissue and increase the user’s susceptibility
to STDs such as herpes, chlamydia, and HIV. The most commonly used products
were for washing, douching, or as commercial lubricants. Joelle Brown of the
University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues recruited 141 women in
Los Angeles who completed questionnaires about product use and were
administered lab tests for vaginal infections at entry into the study and one
year later.
The researchers found that 66
percent of participants reported washing, douching, or inserting commercial
lubricants and over-the-counter products other than tampons in the previous
months. Approximately 45 percent of the study participants reported using washes,
70 percent used commercial lubricants, 17 percent used petroleum jelly, and 13
percent used oils. Lab tests showed that 40 percent of the women who used
petroleum jelly had bacterial vaginosis, compared to 18 percent who did not use
petroleum jelly. Also, 44 percent of participants who used intravaginal oils
tested positive for Candida, the fungus that causes yeast infections, compared
to 5 percent of those who did not use oils. The researchers suggest that the
infection may have resulted from the products upsetting the women’s internal pH
and beneficial microbe communities, allowing harmful organisms to multiply.
Since the study did not aim to
identify the causes of the infections, it did not prove products were to blame.
Brown noted that commercial sexual lubricants that were designed for internal
use were not associated with increased risk of infection in the study, but that
they require further evaluation. She commented that women were exposed to a
great number of products on the market that were targeted to modifying the
vaginal environment. Brown explained that the Food and Drug Administration
“strongly urges” cosmetic manufacturers to test their products for safety but
does not require it.
The full report, “Intravaginal
Practices and Risk of Bacterial Vaginosis and Candidiasis Infection Among a
Cohort of Women in the United States,” was published in the journal Obstetrics
& Gynecology (2013; 121(4):773-780).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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