It seems like every year there’s something new and trendy for women to do with their vaginas. “Vajazzling” was a all the rage at one point, as was “vagacials” and vaginal rejuvenation (lovingly described as a “face lift for the vulva”).
Now, comes vaginal detox, also known as womb detox.
Embrace Pangea, a holistic company specializing in natural approaches to health care, is selling “pearls” filled with herbs that they say will “cleanse the womb and return it to its balanced state,” as well as options to treat ovarian cysts, fibroids and endometriosis. However, Dr. Jen Gunter is urging women to quit shoving the balls up their sex organ because doing so may lead to death.
The fed-up gynecologist wrote a blog denouncing the herbal balls and said using them is asking for trouble, specifically, toxic shock syndrome, a life-threatening medical condition caused by bacterial infection. “Leaving a product that is not designed for prolonged vaginal use (and these are not) in the vagina is a risk for toxic shock syndrome,” she wrote. “Just don’t do it.”
Dr. Gunter says womb detoxing isn’t even necessary because the vagina is a “self-cleaning oven” and uteruses don’t have feelings. “Your uterus isn’t tired or depressed or dirty and your vagina has not misplaced its chakra,” she wrote. “They want no real help from you unless there is something wrong and they will tell you there is something wrong by bleeding profusely or itching or cramping badly or producing an odor.”
The company’s owner, Tamieka Atkinson, spoke with UK’s The Independent and said while the vagina is self-cleaning, her herbal balls are for women whose vagina’s self-cleaning ability has been reduced due to their lifestyle. Which is a little tough to unpack.
The balls are still on sale and range from $85 to over $1,000.
