A 40-year-old female presents with recurrent urinary tract infections. She mentions using douches regularly for 'hygiene' purposes. What could be the cause of the recurrent infections?
Douching can disrupt the normal balance of bacteria in the vagina and can lead to bacterial vaginosis, which may increase the risk of urinary tract infections. The patient should be educated on the potential harms of douching and advised to stop. Treatment for the current UTI should be initiated, and if infections continue to recur, further evaluation may be needed.