Douching is the process of washing or cleaning out the vagina with water or other mixtures of fluids. Most douches are sold in stores as prepackaged mixes of water and vinegar, baking soda, or iodine. Women use douching for personal hygiene or aesthetic reasons, for preventing or treating unpleasant odors, washing away menstrual blood after their period, avoiding getting sexually transmitted diseases, and preventing pregnancy after intercourse. However, health experts warn that douching is not effective for any of these purposes and can actually increase the risk of infections, pregnancy complications, and other health problems. Doctors recommend that women do not douche because it can change the necessary balance of vaginal flora (bacteria that live in the vagina) and natural acidity in a healthy vagina, leading to many health problems, including problems getting pregnant, vaginal infections, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) . Therefore, women do not need to douche to clean their vagina because their body naturally flushes out and cleans their vagina.