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A trend among women for inserting herb balls in their vaginas to ‘detox their wombs’ could risk toxic shock syndrome, an expert has warned.
The Herbal Womb Detox Pearls, sold by US company Embrace Pangaea , are said to alleviate conditions such as endometriosis, ovarian cysts and thrush.
Bags of perfumed herbs, known as Herbal Womb Detox Pearls, are being promoted as a health boost and women are told to insert three of the balls into the vagina for 72 hours.
The herbal womb detox pearls are sold from $15 to $75. Buyers have an option to choose from an individual purchase or a variety of packages: distributor starter package ($300), monthly womb maintenance package ($75 to $180) and wholesale package ($500 to $1,050). Daily Mail says that the company also claims that the product can cause “vaginal tightening,” which can result to a higher sexual pleasure.
But gynaecologist Jen Gunter warned that the fad could prove “dangerous and smelly”.
She added: “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. Just don’t do it.”
Writing in her blog she compared the vagina to a “self-cleaning oven” and said the herbs could damage the balance of bacteria.
She wrote: “Many plant products and extracts are irritating and certainly none of the claimed contents have been tested for vaginal use.
“God knows what is in the ‘vaginal tightening’ pearls, but I imagine something caustic or drying — both really bad.
“What happens when you leave something in a vagina for three days is that anaerobic (not good) bacteria grow.
“Bad bacteria smells bad — this smell alerts you there is a serious issue somewhere.”
Tamieka Atkinson, the owner of Embrace Pangaea, said the company made “no claims of curing, diagnosing, or treating disease.”
She told the Independent: “Embrace Pangaea is a holistic company that provides high-quality herbal detoxes and information to educate clients about natural living.”
“Our Herbal Womb Detox Pearls is simply a natural herbal alternative that women can make a conscious and informed decision in using.
“With all our clients, we do advise them that we are not medical professionals, and that they should seek assistance from their doctor.
“As for our products doing more harm than good, there are various women that received positive benefits from using our product.”
Agencies/Canadajournal
Any kind of detox is not good….your body will take care of it with its own mechanisms…Why are people so naieve that they follow these stars and their BS.