Vaginal steaming

Vaginal steaming, sometimes shortened to V-steaming,[1] and also known as yoni steaming, is an alternative health treatment whereby a woman squats or sits over steaming water containing herbs such as mugwort, rosemary, wormwood, and basil. It has been practiced in Africa (Mozambique, South Africa[2]), Asia (Indonesia, Thailand[2]), and Central America (among the Q'eqchi' people[3]).

It has become a fad for women in the Western world. It is described in spas as an ancient Korean treatment for reproductive organ ailments and is claimed to have other benefits. There is no empirical evidence supporting any of these claims.[4]

Prevalence

According to a study on vaginal practices by the World Health Organization published in 2011, one of the ways in which women practice vaginal care is by "Vaginal steaming or smoking: the 'steaming' or 'smoking' of the vagina, by sitting above a source of heat (fire, coals, hot rocks) on which water, herbs, or oils are placed to create steam or smoke".[2] For that study, over 4,000 women in Tete (Mozambique), KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), Yogyakarta (Indonesia), and Chonburi (Thailand) were asked about their vaginal care. When it came to vaginal steaming/smoking, very different results were obtained, and very different reasons were given: in Chonburi, 67% of women reported having performed vaginal steaming or smoking, "which they associated with maintaining wellness and feminine identity", especially after having given birth (85.5%). In Tete, only 10% of women practiced steaming or smoking, "mostly intended to enhance male sexual pleasure by causing vaginal tightening (64.1% of users) and drying (22.9%)". In the two African locations, 37–38% of women said they practiced it to enhance "male sexual pleasure"; in the two Asian ones, 0% gave that answer. Conversely, of the Asian women 26% reported their "feminine identity" was a reason, compared to 0% of the African women.[2]

Risks

Side effects and potential dangers include: allergic reactions, second degree burns if the steam is too close,[1] and vaginal infections.[4][5]

Society and culture

Marketing

Vaginal steaming is marketed with pseudoscientific notions of "balancing" female hormones and "revitalizing" the uterus or vagina.[1][4][5]

It is also claimed to: reduce the discomfort, bloating and tiredness associated with menstruation, regulate irregular menstrual cycles, treat yeast infections, decrease the menstrual blood flow, increase fertility, relieve symptoms of menopause, treat endometriosis, speed up the after-birth healing process. There is no evidence for any of those claims.[1]

It is also marketed as "cleaning" the vagina, which it does not do, and which is not necessary.[4][5]

The marketing and perception of vaginal steaming falls within a mix of ideologies including post-feminist, new age, and inherently sexist notions in which the female body is on the one hand a dirty, defective thing, yet one that a woman can "optimize" to become "goddess-like".[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ghose, Tia (January 30, 2015). "No, Gwenyth Paltrow, Vaginas don't need to be steam cleaned". LiveScience. LiveScience. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hull, T; et al. (July 2011). "Prevalence, motivations, and adverse effects of vaginal practices in Africa and Asia: findings from a multicountry household survey". Journal of women's health (2002). 20 (7): 1097–109. doi:10.1089/jwh.2010.2281. PMID 21668355.
  3. ↑ Q’eqchi’ Maya Reproductive Ethnomedicine. Spring. 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Robinson, Ann (30 January 2015). "Sorry, Gwyneth Paltrow, but steaming your vagina is a bad idea". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Gunter, Jen (27 January 2015). "Gwyneth Paltrow says steam your vagina, an OB/GYN says don't". Dr. Jen Gunter Wielding the Lasso of Truth.
  6. ↑ Vandenburg, Tycho; Braun, Virginia (2017). "'Basically, it's sorcery for your vagina': unpacking Western representations of vaginal steaming". Culture, Health & Sexuality. 19 (4). PMID 27719108. (taking as its title one observer's characterization – "Basically, it's sorcery for your vagina") Beck, Laura Hopper (January 27, 2015). "I Went To A Spa For My Uterus And This Is My Story". Fast Company.
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