At this point, after reading all the horror stories, we’re all aware that there are plenty of things that shouldn’t be put inside the vagina – like ice lollies, garlic and hoovers.
Experts have warned us repeatedly of the dangers “foreign bodies” pose to the vagina and reminded us that it is self-cleaning.
But it seems there are still a few who might have missed the message.
Women are now being warned not to use a vaginal brush to clean themselves during their period.
Dr Jennifer Gunter, OB/GYN and author of The Vagina Bible, has taken to Twitter to share her thoughts on the “harmful” product.
She wrote: “Every day it seems as if someone comes up with a new and thoroughly unnecessary, yet harmful vaginal cleaning product marketed as empowerment.”
Alongside this she shared screenshots of an Instagram post about an item known as the Blossom Brush.
The post reads: “Featured here is the Blossom Brush designed for a woman to use daily throughout her menstrual cycle and up to three days after to remove residual blood and debris.
“As you can see here the Blossom Brush does not have actual bristles but grooves that glide along the wall of the vagina removing residual blood and debris. The Blossom Brush when added to your menstrual routine can help a woman feel more fresh and make her period more manageable.”
Dr Gunter’s post went viral, garnering over 16,500 likes and more than 6,000 retweets.
One person replied: “Have you ever seen an ad selling some product to specifically make the penis and scrotum ‘more fresh’?”
Another Gynecologist said: “Never, in 14 years as a Gynecologist, have I ever thought to myself: ‘What we REALLY need is a brush to clean menstrual debris out of the vagina’.”
A third commented: “In my 30+ years of menstruation, I have never once thought ‘You know, I really need to brush my flow’.”
Someone else joked: “Buy this thing to clean a thing that cleans itself!”
“What the hell other ‘debris’ would be in your vagina other than residual blood? Are we trying to clear a gutter with leaves and sticks in it? These are clearly products made by men who have no clue that the vagina does just fine by itself,” added a different user.
Following the backlash from the viral tweet, Blossom Brush shared a statement on Instagram.
It said: “Here at Blossom Brush we developed a medical grade, silicon rubber brush that we brought to the market with good intentions.
“The product has been safe to use among the women who have tried it, and we have had an overwhelmingly positive response among the women who have already used it.
“The benefits have included less usage of tampons and a reduction in the number of days a woman required feminine hygiene products.
“We do not believe that ANY PERSON has a ‘dirty’ vagina and we wish to work with the gynaecological community and people who have periods to understand how to appropriately provide women with a new choice in their menstrual management.”
However they since appear to have taken down all of their social media posts.
The brush, which costs $ 19.99 (£15.74) is still being sold on the website flowerbrush.com.
The site contains it’s own warning section, which says: “If the Blossom Brush is used more than what is recommended, you may affect the pH balance of your vagina or cause vaginal dryness and irritation.
“The Blossom Brush is recommended to be used one brush per menstrual cycle. Please discard your Blossom Brush after each cycle and obtain a new Blossom Brush to use for the following cycle.
“The Blossom Brush should be discarded after each menstrual cycle to reduce the risk of biofilm development on the brush in between menstrual cycles.”
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