To douche with tea tree oil before a smear test?!

[floraeasy]

Was talking with friends today. I have a smear soon. Just mentioned I was going to pick up some tea-tree oil on the way home. They asked what it was for so I told them I douche before these appointments.

I occasionally do it after sex too. In fact I try not to have sex in the few days leading up to an internal.

They were .

Now I feel weird To me, it's like giving my teeth an extra good brush, flossing, mouthwash before seeing dentist. Just preparing myself, you know?

A lot of women in the US seem to have this as part of their regular routine.

By the way, I've been doing this for a few years now and no gynae problems so far.

Your vagina sorts itself out. If you have an infection, seek medical advice. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I dip my vag in domestos hun

Skitting!!

It doesn't help that I live in a village. Wish I could walk into an anonymous female sexual health clinic in a big city.

I had heard of this but didn't think it was actually true

No! Don't put water up there either.

It is utterly depressing that you can't accept your vagina as it is
I agree, and sex isn't dirty. You don't need to disinfect afterwards.

In fact, if you do have a smell down there, it has probably been caused by upsetting the bacterial balance with Tea tree oil. You are going to end up with the opposite of what you are aiming for.

American women don't douche! Not any under 50 anyway.

(And we do all have gynecologists, it's a legal right.)

I sometimes wonder if American women need personal gynaecologists because they keep putting stuff in their vaginas and that messes them up. At my surgery we are advised to shower, not bathe before a smear so that water doesn't get up there.

Too busy wincing to think of what to say....

Also, don't other cultures do this? I know it's for cultural or religious reasons, yes, but I am guessing it can't really harm their health in that case?

Prepared to be proved wrong.

What you've all said has got me a bit worried, if I'm honest.

You really shouldn't put water up your vagina either!
There is no need to douche and it doesn't have positive benefits. The idea that you're cleaner after douching is psychological, in fact there is probably more nasty bacteria up there after you douche because you're messing with it.

I wouldnt as it upsets the natural balance of bacteria which are needed and may give a false result.

Sorry, not a legal "right." It's a mandated insurance benefit.

Also, I'd be concerned the douche would wash off any potentially cancerous cells for the pap. The cancer could still be there, but they don't dig in to test, it isn't a biopsy, they take the shedding cells. If you've washed them all away, it seems like you could easily get a false negative.

MMM3

Oh my! Now you've got me wondering. I've always had a-okay results but this may be why

Well, I won't have sex until Friday (not that active these days anyway) and will just shower as normal. Try to keep away from that D-bottle!

It's threads like this that remind me why I love MN

FFS.

What if this was posted on the Feminist Board. LOL

The nurse who will be performing it is perfectly lovely and professional but I have to see her for everything - my vitamin injections, all sorts. Could also see her round the village. Wish I could walk into an anonymous female sexual health clinic in a big city.

She won't bat an eyelid at anything she comes across as part of her job. Trust me.

Stop worrying and stop rinsing yourself out with tea tree!

priest chucking holy water up it out of an aspergillum

A priest shouldn't know where to find it!

Even if there's no hard evidence that it causes cancer, (I can't be bothered to search) putting something potentially irritant up there, which specifically says should NOT be used on mucous membranes, could easily invalidate the result of the test either positively or negatively. Plus, as has been repeatedly stated on here, interfering with the natural bacterial flora of your vagina (it's MEANT to have bacteria in it) is a really bad idea. Perhaps see your GP to be tested for thrush/BV.

I can also join the club of people who made the mistake of using tea tree shower gel (mine was the Original Source one with Mint as well) - ouchie!

No no no no no.....
Just NO!

I feel if I were a man, I'd be pulling back my foreskin and scrubbing that before a medical exam too. But then again, if I were a man I'd maybe be thinking differently about this whole issue in the first place?

Is this is feminist issue?!?

I did this with water before a smear once and they had to do it again a month later because they couldn't get a clear result.

AVOID!