Educational (hopefully) post about a topic from today's Hard Launch. CW for frank talk about sex and colons, this post is NSFW, etc.
I am not a doctor and this post is not medical advice. I do have experience with the topics and have talked to my doctor about the risks and recommend you do the same.
I know it's a comedy podcast and all but from an educational perspective, colonic irrigation (as the term is typically used) is not the same as douching. The first is, as they stated, harmful to your gut bacteria as well as dangerous due to perforation, whether you're doing it for sex or for the "health benefits" (no solid evidence of such for healthy people).
Douching is generally fine - unfortunately a lot of study data is observational and doesn't distinguish between various different practices: what substance is used, how much, how many times, for how long, what device is used to introduce it. But from a few of the quotes I've read about how long it takes, some people are overdoing it! Also, many studies observe measurable changes to the gut microbiome in those who douche, which is really interesting scientifically! But the question I have yet to see answered is whether that translates to actual symptoms and harm, and if so, whether that's in most or just a small minority. Education on this, given limited evidence, should be about the potential risks and ways to make this safer and not a blanket recommendation to avoid it out of fear.
Like a lot of other things, listen to your body. Douching should not hurt or make you bleed. Use a small amount (1/2 cup to a cup maybe?) of lukewarm, drinking quality water (a small amount of salt dissolved in it can be better for the body but isn't required). Do it once or twice. Don't keep it there long. It's a rinse, not a laundry cycle. Use lube and a device without any sharp edges, and be gentle.
If this isn't enough to get you clean, up your fiber (most of us should do this anyway lol)! And of course, you don't have to douche, it's okay not to, please don't take this as shaming anyone who chooses not to. Expecting 100% cleanliness like your body is an operating room is unrealistic whether you do or don't.
If you're doing more involved sexual activities that require more cleaning, be aware of the risks and do your own research, but for typical anal sex a few times a week or so, douching before is relatively low risk. Not zero, you're still putting something somewhere it isn't really supposed to be, but I think the risks can get overstated and conflated with the risks of other similar practices.
Cool video with a doctor talking about these topics:
I did not use any AI, I'm just Like This.
