Girls use Coke douches as contraceptive: report
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Tu Du Maternity Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has reported about a young woman who was taken aback to be told she was pregnant: after all, she told staff, she regularly used Coca-Cola to washed her vagina after sex.
She was at the hospital for a second opinion after being told by a private medical center she was pregnant.
Apparently, she had been following advice proffered by a website.
She told the staff that birth-control pills and condoms are not only costly but also prevent her from achieving orgasm.
Dr Duong Phuong Mai of the hospital’s family planning department said no contraceptive effects have ever been reported for Coke.
The girl had probably avoided pregnancy earlier because she had sex on “safe” days and not because of the Coke douche, she said.
In fact, Coke and other drinks can damage vaginal cells, exposing them to harmful bacteria that cause sexually transmitted diseases, especially vaginal infections, she warned.
It can also seriously affect the ovum, leading to amenorrhea and infertility, she further warned.
Many Vietnamese online forums and websites also tout lemon and alcohol as effective birth-control methods. They claim that lemon’s acidity and alcohol’s antiseptic, which do destroy bacteria, also kill sperms and prevent pregnancy.
But Dr Dang Le Dung Hanh of Hung Vuong Maternity Hospital said many women use lemon and alcohol due to this wrong belief and their cheapness and availability.
Their acidity can cause swelling, rash, infection, and vaginal ulcers which can seriously affect woman’s sexual health.
Women should seek advice from doctors for safe and effective birth control methods, he said.
