Fifty women from MSU are being sought to participate in a health study that aims to give women more information about the products they use.
Judy Leventhal, project director of the Daily Activities and Infection Study, said this program will concentrate on the effects of vaginal douching.
“Some doctors recommend douching for certain women, other doctors say there are negative effects, and then women have their own feelings,” Leventhal said. “We are looking to supply women with accurate information from people who actually use these products.”
Leventhal said the study will take place during a four month period, starting next month, where the participants will spend about two minutes per day obtaining samples themselves.
The specimens will then be mailed to the Department of Epidemiology along with answers to a weekly list of questions.
Participation will also require two 30-minute visits per month to Olin Health Center where fresh samples will be obtained so they can be processed immediately.
“They will still be taking the samples themselves when they go to the clinic,” Leventhal said. “At no time during the study will they be touched by someone else to get a sample.”
Leventhal said she is looking for 50 volunteers between 18 and 40 who use a vaginal douche at least once a month and are not pregnant. Women who start douching just before the study will not be eligible.
Half of the participants will be asked to stop douching and the others will continue their normal douching practice. Leventhal said volunteers should be willing to participate in whichever group they are randomly assigned to.
Leventhal also said Participants will be paid for the time they spend with the study.
Information on the DAISY Study was sent to all female campus residents and sent by e-mail to all females in the MSU community.
English junior Grace Murray said she remembers getting the yellow flyer.
“I think the study sounds really interesting,” she said. “I have heard so many conflicting opinions on douching, so it will be interesting to see what kind of results they actually get.”
The study will be conducted by faculty from the MSU Department of Epidemiology and funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation.
Senior program officer of the foundation, Nora Maloy, said it primarily funds research projects dealing with the quality of health care.
“This study falls into the categories we fund,” Maloy said. “But they are broad categories and anything that would improve health care will peak our interest. They made a compelling case and we feel the results will make an impact on the health of women.”
For more information or to volunteer for the DAISY Study call 432-9406 or e-mail leventh1@msu.edu.
