The harmful myth of vaginal cleansing
Ms. Mayhem
By Lexi Reich
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“There’s an overall assumption that the ingredients that get used are just fine for our health; people have been using these products for a long time, everybody must be fine,” said Alexandra Scranton, director of science and research at Women’s Voices for the Earth. “I think what doesn’t get acknowledged is there is a lot of unexplained diseases, particularly reproductive concerns, unexplained infertility, unexplained birth defects, and we don’t know what’s causing them. We think the products we’re exposed to every day might be playing a role.”
The vaginal microbiome defends against pathogens and influences reproductive success and disruptions to that ecosystem can cause severe consequences. Despite their popularity, medical professionals have denounced vaginal cleansers as unnecessary because the vagina is a self-cleaning organ.
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