Right, ladies, it's time we stopped messing around with our vaginas. Sadly, we seem to be habouring the antiquated (and incorrect) view that our lady parts are somehow dirty or smelly. And, unless you're suffering from a medical condition, they're not.
Douching, we established, is something *not *to do and even bubble baths can upset the balance down there. Now a company called Embrace Pangaea, have taken it one step further by selling ’herbal womb detox pearls’ on the premise that they ‘cleanse the womb and return it to a balanced state’. They say that the pearls ‘aid to correct’ things such as ‘bacteria vaginosis, foul odor, yeast infections, endometriosis, and fibroids’; bold (and arguably dangerous) claims, to be sure. The pearls – which contain various herbs – are inserted into the womb. You can use one to four of them and apparently inserting three constitutes a ‘deep cleanse’.
One website, xoNecole posted a review of the ‘detox’ and linked to it in this gross tweet.
Um, perhaps (your man) shouldn’t be (your man) if he’s concerned with this kind of thing.
When I contacted the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists for an expert opinion, they knew exactly what I was talking about and said that they were ‘horrified’ by the concept. What’s more, had even prepared a statement on the issue, showing just how concerned they are about this ‘trend’.
Dr Vanessa Mackay, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) said: ‘The vagina is designed to clean itself with natural secretions and should not require a “detox”. It contains good bacteria, which are there to protect it. If these bacteria are disturbed it can lead to infection, such as bacterial vaginosis or thrush, and inflammation. Perfumed products, soaps, gels, antiseptics, and vaginal douches can all affect the pH levels and the healthy balance of bacteria in the vagina, and cause irritation.’
She ended by saying that, ‘Anyone who is worried about the way their vagina smells, or has noticed irritation or itching, should seek advice from their GP or pharmacist as they may have an infection that needs treatment.’
Dr Jen Gunter, a US gynecologist, wrote about the problems with the concept too, saying that ‘Your uterus isn’t tired or depressed or dirty and your vagina has not misplaced its chakra’, and elaborated on why these pearls are so problematic; for a start it’s dangerous to leave a bag of anything in your vagina for three days.
The owner of Embrace Pangaea, Tamieka Atkinson (who's talking through the product in the video above), told the Independent that ‘Our product is not a drug by any means, and we make no claims of curing, diagnosing, or treating disease.’ and went on to say that it was absolutely correct’ that the vagina is self-cleaning but that ‘this self-cleaning ability can get reduced due to a person's lifestyle’. Right-o.
Yeah we're not convinced. Our advice ? Chances are, you're all good down there. And if you have any concerns, see your GP in the first instance.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.