An investigation of douching practices in the botanicas of the Bronx

Douching is a common practice in women and has been associated with adverse health outcomes. In order to explore douching products and practices we conducted qualitative interviews in ten botnicas (stores that provide healing and spiritual services to immigrant communities) located in New York City. We interviewed 15 people, 14 of whom were botnica owners and employees and ten of whom were women. We found that douching was not easily separated from the more holistic concerns of botnica customers involving health, well-being and spirituality. These issues included abortion, infertility, menopause, the prevention and treatment of infections, sexuality, cleanliness, hygiene and relationship issues. The vagina was seen as a sensitive, even vulnerable part of the body, not clearly distinguished from other female organs. A variety of products were used in the vagina in the form of creams, douches, suppositories, baths and herbal steaming of the urogenital area. Alum, an astringent, was used for the purposes of vaginal tightening to enhance sexual pleasure for the partner, to make the vagina 'younger', or to hide evidence of infidelity. Botnicas are part of a complex healing system with conceptual models different from those of allopathic medicine. These models may not be unique to the botnicas.