Factors Affecting The Success Of Vaginitis Treatment In Pregnant Women ; A Prospective Cohort Study

Introduction Anatomy, physiology, and flora of the female genital system change due to pregnancy-related hormonal, metabolic, endocrinological, and immunological reasons. Dysbiosis increases the risk of spontaneous preterm birth with chronic inflammatory processes by causing infections in the fetoplacental unit by the ascending or hematogenous route. Our study aimed to reveal the bad personal habits and practices predispose to vaginitis, create resistance to treatment, and cause recurrences in pregnant women with vaginitis. Material-Methods Our descriptive study was conducted on a group of patients who applied to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, between December 2021 and April 2022, with the ethics committee's approval. Our study group consists of 178 pregnant women over 18 who are literate, cooperative, and volunteered to answer all the questions in the questionnaire. Results Vaginal douching in 71.9% (128 people) of the participants, not ironing their underwear at all in 67.4% (120 people), cleaning the perineum from back to front in 66.9% (119 people), 61.2% daily pad use in 61.2% (109 people), synthetic laundry use in 41% (73 people), use of genital cleaning products in 16.3% (29 people), hand washing underwear in 7.3% (13 people) and 5.6% (10 people) had frequent sexual intercourse behavior. Regarding genital area cleaning, 11.2% (20 people) of the patients knew about using white vinegar, and 3.4% (6 people) used the acidic mixture. 6.7% (12 people) of the participants knew the use of vaginal probiotics. Conclusion Considering the results of our study, it can be said that wrong practices regarding genital hygiene continue, especially in women from low socio-economic and cultural levels. In this respect, the women need training on genital hygiene as a preventive measure due to the mistakes they make in practice related to genital hygiene and the possibility of experiencing a genital infection in a significant part of them. In conclusion, considering that the most significant deficiency in the occurrence of genital infections in women is the lack of education, it is recommended that all health professionals develop a training plan to prevent genital infections and apply it to women in the regions they work.