Intimate hygiene practices and reproductive tract infections: A systematic review

Introduction

Worldwide, women perform a variety of vaginal practices to enhance their intimate hygiene and sexual health.

Objective

To conduct a systematic review to assess the different kinds of intimate hygiene practices and their association with reproductive tract infections and complications.

Methods

PubMed, Medline and The Cochrane Library were used. Both observational and interventional studies targeting the urogenital infections and their association with hygiene practices were included. Exclusion criteria included studies that assessed the knowledge and attitudes towards intimate hygiene practices rather than their relation to infections. The design of this systematic review complied with the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA).

Results

Fifteen articles were included. Intravaginal practices were found to be associated with reproductive tract infections. Reusable absorbent material used during menstruation increased the risk of Candida infection with an adjusted proportional reported ratio (aPRR) of 1.54 (95% CI 1.2–2.0), but no association with bacterial vaginosis or trichomonas vaginalis infection was noted. Bathing or vaginal washing during menstruation with water only showed a higher association with symptoms of urogenital infections when compared with washing with both soap and water during menstruation. Drying reusable pads inside the house and storing them inside the toilet was found to be associated with a higher candida infection prevalence. Moreover, bathing in sitting position during menstruation, not drying the genital area or using cloth for drying it, and not paying attention to hand washing, were all associated with a higher risk of genital infections. Finally, postpartum use of native homemade vaginal preparations might be a risk factor for ascending vaginal infections, and the use of inappropriate material for menstrual blood absorption was associated with secondary infertility.

Conclusion

Several hygiene practices put women at higher risk for reproductive tract infections. We should continue to increase awareness to counter the misinformation resulting from marketing campaigns and common misconceptions.