Don't Be a Douche: The History of a Dangerous Hygiene Product

Another Bloody Podcast · May 14, 2026 · 30m

This week we discuss the medically unnecessary product women were taught they couldn’t live without: the douche. About 20% of U.S. women use disposable douche products for vaginal cleansing on a weekly basis. Far more have used them at least once. Yet medical experts say these "hygiene" products are unnecessary and can even be hazardous to your health. So why, despite decades of research linking douching to increased risk of vaginitis, UTI, and even cancer, do women continue to spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year on a product nearly every healthcare expert inists they don't need?

We…