Do NOT put parsley or other vegetables in your vagina, doctors warn after ‘irresponsible’ article claiming the herb can be used to induce a PERIOD
- The article referred to parsley as an emmenagogue which can induce periods
- It has been used in the past for at-home abortions, sometimes with fatal ends
- Doctors have said there is no scientific evidence to back the claims
Doctors are warning women to not take the ‘irresponsible’ advice of putting parsley in their vagina to kick-start their period.
The bizarre suggestion was made by women’s magazine Marie Claire alongside other recommendations using food, drink and exercise.
Women may want to make their period come sooner as a means of controlling their cycle ahead of a holiday or special event.
According to the article, parsley is an emmenagogue – a substance that increases menstrual flow – which can ‘soften the cervix and level out hormonal imbalances’.
But doctors have now urged women to never insert vegetables into the vagina, as it could lead to health risks – including potentially death.
Doctors are warning women to not take the ‘irresponsible’ advice of putting parsley in the vagina to kick-start their period. According to the Marie Claire article, parsley is an emmenagogue which can ‘soften the cervix and level out hormonal imbalances’
Dr Shazia Malik, a London-based obstetrician-gynaecologist, told The Independent: ‘There is no evidence of any benefit to a woman of doing this, and clear risk of significant harm as deaths have been reported.
‘I would urge women not to insert anything unless they have taken proper medical advice.’
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Dr Sheila Newman, an obstetrician-gynaecologist from New Jersey, also spoke of her concern over the practice, which is not medically advised. She branded it ‘irresponsible’.
WHAT DID THE ARTICLE CLAIM? AND WHY ARE WOMEN TRYING TO INDUCE THEIR PERIODS?
The bizarre suggestion to use parsley to induce periods was made by women’s magazine Marie Claire.
The herb was mentioned alongside other unusual recommendations, including other foods.
‘Parsley can help to soften the cervix and level out hormonal imbalances that could be delaying your cycle,’ the article said.
It added that this ‘helps your period come faster’.
The piece suggested women may want to make their period come sooner as a means of controlling their cycle ahead of a holiday or special event.
But two medics hit back and said that vegetables generally aren’t something that should be put in a vagina for any reason.
Mayo Clinic states ‘the presence of a vaginal foreign body may alter the normal bacterial flora of the vagina’, which can cause discharge, itching and pain.
She said: ‘That is not something that is recommended by gynaecologists.
‘There are only a few things that should go in your vagina and vegetables generally aren’t one of them.’
The Marie Claire article said: ‘While few of us would feature parsley as the main part of a dish, it turns out the herb is a mild emmenagogue and can help to kick-start your period, so you might want to look into some parsley recipes ASAP.
‘Parsley can help to soften the cervix and level out hormonal imbalances that could be delaying your cycle, helping your period come faster.
‘If you’re struggling to find a dish based on parsley, don’t panic – the most effective forms are said to be parsley tea and parsley vaginal inserts.’
Emmenagogues are defined in herbal medicine as a stimulant for menstrual flow but have no scientific studies to support this, and it is not used in practices.
It is not the first time parsley has been claimed to induce a period.
Bustle wrote in April 2015: ‘As any herbalist will tell you, emmenagogues are a family of herbs that stimulate blood flow in the pelvis and uterus, and can sometimes make your period come sooner.
‘The recommended dosage for these herbs is two to four cups a day, taken in tea form.’
Parsley has been used before as a herbal-medicine to induce home abortions, seen as ‘risk-free’ because it is natural.
The article said: ‘If you’re struggling to find a dish based on parsley, don’t panic – the most effective forms are said to be parsley tea and parsley vaginal inserts’
But in August last year, it was reported that a 24-year-old mother-of-two from Argentina had died after trying to induce a miscarriage by using parsley.
Her death happened a week after the Argentine Senate rejected a bill that would have legalised abortion up to 14 weeks.
Clairín, Argentina’s largest newspaper, reported that the victim, only referred to as Elizabeth, died of septic shock and infection.
Dr Newman said there are ways to manipulate the menstrual cycle, as the Marie Clare article suggested, but these should be discussed with your gynaecologist.’
MailOnline has contacted Marie Claire for comment.
WHAT ELSE HAVE DOCTORS WARNED WOMEN NOT TO PUT IN THEIR VAGINAS?
Apple cider vinegar
Experts urged women not to use trendy apple cider vinegar to ‘tighten’ their vaginas in October 2017 after online blogs and forums encouraged women to carry out the bizarre douching technique.
Aside from vinegar being completely ineffective at tightening the vagina, Professor Linda Cardozo from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London warns it could disrupt the organ’s delicate ‘good’ bacteria, putting women at risk of irritation and infections.
To maintain the vagina’s strength and tone, women should perform pelvic floor exercises regularly, Professor Cardozo recommends.
Cleansers, lubricants and wipes
Women who use intimate-health products are more at risk of bacterial, fungal and urinary tract infections (UTIs), research in April 2018 from the University of Guelph, suggested.
Vaginal sanitising gels raise women’s risk of developing a genital bacterial infection by almost 20 times and a yeast infection, like thrush, by eight times, a study found.
Intimate washes make women 3.5 times more likely to catch a bacterial infection and 2.5 times more at risk of a yeast infestation, the research adds.
Vaginal wipes double the risk of a UTI, while lubricants and moisturising creams increase women’s susceptibility to thrush by 2.5 times, the study found.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Jade Eggs
A gynecologist slammed Gwyneth Paltrow’s suggestion for women to put jade eggs up their vaginas as ridiculous and dangerous.
Writing on her lifestyle blog goop, the Hollywood actress claimed the $66 rocks boost orgasms, vaginal muscle tone, hormonal balance, and ‘feminine energy’.
Women, Paltrow explained through an interview with her ‘beauty guru/healer/inspiration/friend’, should clench the egg inside them all day to exercise their pelvic floor.
But acclaimed gynecologist Dr Jen Gunter warned in January 2019 that the whole idea is nonsense – and could even increase the risk of bacterial vaginosis or deadly toxic shock syndrome.
Vaginal scraping
Doctors warned about this procedure after Mel B, 43, revealed she had the insides of her vagina scraped out and new tissue put inside after her bitter divorce with ex-husband Stephen Belafonte.
The procedure, which has been largely unheard of until Mel B spoke out, could lead to a serious risk of infection, experts have said.
Dr Jen Gunter – gynaecologist, obstetrician and author of The Vagina Bible – told Refinery29 that women should ‘never, ever have their vagina scraped’ – or even douched – which cleans the vagina using a douche and fluid.
She said: ‘Any scraping of the vaginal epithelium [tissue] could affect the vaginal ecosystem and theoretically could spread HPV locally and would increase a woman’s vulnerability to infection.
She added that the vagina regenerates itself every 96 hours and the surface cells are shed every four hours.
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