You’ve all heard the embarrassing story, or even the horror story, of a friend’s cousin’s classmate accidentally doing something in her vagina while she was hot and ended up in the hospital, causing serious bodily harm. So what is really dangerous to put in there? We talked to a few health experts to break it down. Here’s what to avoid…
- Wash with water
Some women like to use the shower to clean their vagina, but in fact, it is not necessary at all. It can also be dangerous, according to Alyssa Dweck, MD, a clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, because it “disrupts the horrible balance of normal bacteria that should be in the vagina and actually causes an infection.” Douching is a known culprit in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and bacterial vaginosis. If you’re concerned about keeping your vagina clean, the best thing you can do is wash it off with soap and water when you shower and be careful not to put any soap on your vagina. If you smell something, see a doctor. After all, your vagina cleans itself, so it doesn’t need your help to make it cleaner. - Anger
Yes, steaming your vagina at a spa is a trend these days, and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. “They sit in a special type of spa without any underwear, on a special chair that has herbal steam coming out of it, and they steam their bottoms,” Dweck said. “Any type of heat treatment feels good and improves blood flow, but we’ve seen burns and irritation from it, so I would be very cautious about it. I’m not. How effective it is at doing anything anyway. I’m confident.” - Tea tree oil
“If you’re using household oil as a lubricant, you need a high-grade oil, not the kind you use for cooking in the kitchen,” says Raquel Dardick, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at NYU Langone. Health center. “And you want to use an oil that’s pH neutral, like almond oil, coconut oil, olive oil, maybe that’s fine.” What you don’t want to use is tea tree oil, which causes terrible chemical burns: “It’s incredibly caustic and causes vaginal burns, so it’s not okay.” - Chocolate syrup
“All these things contain sugar, which changes the ratio of bacteria and yeast that cause infection. These substances can irritate the skin of the vagina, so it may seem like a good idea at the time, but you can have irritation or irritation in the vagina. infection,” Dardick said. - Sour cream
“I wouldn’t recommend putting it in the vagina,” Dweck said. “It’s really hard to get these things out, especially if it’s a reaction. If you’re going to have sex, you’re going to have sex. If you’re going to have sex, you’re going to have erotic feelings — that’s okay.” is. But I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t recommend putting it in there.” - Jelly
It’s sometimes thought of as a convenient lubricant, but according to Dweck, petroleum jelly or other petroleum products can actually be a source of infection in the vagina. - Home remedies for yeast infections such as yogurt-soaked tampons
According to Dweck, “Sometimes when people get a yeast infection, [yogurt on a tampon] seems like a more natural way to treat it. Maybe not a good idea. Bacteria and yeast like dark, moist places, so I think I can do that. is the cause of infection.” If you suspect you have a yeast infection, see your doctor and, if you’re feeling okay, treat it with plain prescription Monistat instead of yogurt. - Fruits and vegetables
For starters, the old wives’ tale is false: vegetables can’t take root and grow in your vagina. According to Dardick, there are some major problems with putting vegetables there. “Vegetables have pesticides, so you’re putting pesticides in your vagina, which I really don’t recommend. You can break them and leave them in there for an unhealthy amount of time. “Not recommended. But nothing takes root, it just rots.”