- Women in Indonesia are inserting cigarette-shaped “madura sticks” into their vaginas in an attempt to tighten them and remove discharge.
- To use a madura stick, a woman inserts it into her vagina for two to three minutes and then removes it, washes it, and lets it air dry for future use.
- Madura sticks contain chemicals that could lead to infection. There’s also no scientific evidence that any product can tighten the vagina.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more.
Women in Indonesia are using cigarette-shaped sticks made from ground herbs and plants called “madura sticks” in an attempt to tighten and dry out their vaginas, The South China Morning Post recently reported.
To use a madura stick, a woman inserts it into her vagina for two to three minutes and then removes it, washes it, and lets it air dry for future use.
The sticks have been part of vaginal hygiene practices in Indonesia for some time, and a 2012 World Health Organization study into vaginal practices in Indonesia revealed that women tend to use madura sticks as well as powders, creams, herbs, and tablets that are marketed as ways to tighten the vagina and remove discharge.
Such products use chemicals that shrink tissue and promote the idea that using them can help a woman shrink her vaginal tissue so much, her husband will be able to experience a virginal vagina again.
According to OBGYNs, however, these products aren't effective and are "medically harmful and playing off patriarchal tropes" that suggest a woman is only valuable to men if her vagina is tight, Dr. Jen Gunter, an OBGYN and author of "The Vagina Bible," told Newsweek
They also feed into the idea that "too much discharge is bad," Gunter said, a false sentiment she said she hears from women about once a month.
In reality, there's no scientific evidence that any product can tighten the vagina. In fact, most products that claim to do so contain chemicals that can cause irritation and infections.
The vagina is self-tightening and doesn't need special products
The long-held myth that too much sex can permanently stretch or loosen the vagina is simply not true.
That's because the vagina is comprised of elastic tissue that can stretch while retaining its original shape, Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University, previously told Insider.
Although the vagina can stretch during sex to accommodate the size and shape of whatever is going inside of it (like a penis or sex toy), it won't retain that size. After sex, the vaginal muscles contract and the vagina goes back to its original size.
The only time during sex when the vaginal opening might seem to get bigger and stay that way is when a person is starting to have sex for the first time, gynecologist Dr. Alyssa Dweck told Health magazine.
That's because before a person ever has sex, their vaginal opening is covered with a thin membrane called the hymen. The hymen naturally breaks once the vagina is penetrated (whether from sex or something else like a tampon or even playing sports), making it easier for a penis or other object to enter the vagina. Still, that doesn't mean the vaginal canal is any bigger or looser than it was before the hymen was broken.
Your vagina may lose elasticity after childbirth, but products won't tighten it
The vagina can stretch permanently in two non-sex-related instances: during childbirth and as a natural result of aging.
During vaginal birth, a baby's head presses against the vaginal floor and can cause the area to become permanently stretched, according to Minkin. She said that kegel exercises, where a person contracts and releases the muscles in their vaginal and rectal areas, can help to tone and re-tighten a loose vagina if done on a regular basis.
"If that doesn't work to tighten things up, we can always do a surgical repair [to tighten the vaginal muscles]," she said.
Additionally, the natural aging process can cause the vagina to become dry and lose its elasticity. According to Minkin, this change occurs after menopause.
There is a way to help prevent this type of stretching. "We encourage women to moisturize their vaginas, just like they would use facial moisturizer," Minkin said. She suggested using Replens, a type of vaginal moisturizing gel, two or three times a week if someone is dealing with a dry vagina during menopause.
Madura sticks and other vaginal products like douches can cause infections
Madura sticks, vaginal douches, and scented feminine sprays, although marketed as healthy for the vagina, can actually lead to irritation and infection.
First, vaginal discharge is normal and healthy because it helps regulate the vagina's natural pH level and allows for comfortable and lubricated sex.
Using these products can mess with the balance the vagina is supposed to have, since they contain chemicals that can interact poorly with the healthy bacteria in the vagina, which keep you from getting yeast infections (and other bacterial infections).
Douches can lead to serious infections since they can push existing bacteria into the cervix, upsetting the vagina's natural bacterial balance, OBGYN Dr. Donnica Moore previously told Insider.
Vaginal products are also unnecessary because the vagina is self-cleaning, Insider previously reported.
If you find your vagina smellier than usual, Moore recommends consulting with your gynecologist, since the problem probably requires more than a drugstore product. At the same time, everyone's vagina is supposed to have its own unique odor, so you shouldn't be alarmed if yours has a distinct scent.