We at Medgadget have a lot of experience observing the medical technology field. But every now and then, we come across a completely unexpected development. From Macleans comes this report of a new, cumbersome alternative to a previously simple and effective therapy:
Researchers are testing a possible new treatment for bacterial infection of the vagina — a two-week regimen using a stainless steel douching device inspired by a kitchen gadget.
The device, which can be used easily in the shower, consists of a metal device connected by tubing to a small plastic container for body-temperature water. The container is placed at an elevated level; gravity takes the water to the vagina.
So far, participants in the small pilot study who used the device for a week reported an improvement in symptoms, including a reduction in odour.
“I didn’t believe this until they sent me a stainless steel chef’s bar to try,” says the family practitioner conducting the study, Dr. Daron Ferris of the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. [Note: Dr. Ferris is not a woman — ed].
So, where were we? Oh, yes: lots of health expertise, but a limited understanding of women. Still, something tells us the steel douche will not become first-line therapy for vaginosis.
