Doctor Shares Why Women Should Not Put Garlic in Their Vaginas

This kind of seems like a no-brainer, but, well, in 2019 nothing seems to make much sense anymore. But let us assure you, this is not a bandwagon you want to jump on, ladies.

Apparently, women have started putting garlic in their vaginas because there’s some misinformation floating around that it’s a good home remedy for yeast infections. So Dr. Jennifer Gunter, who is both an OBGYN and a health columnist for the New York Times, put out a Twitter thread explaining all the reasons why you should never, ever do it.

Are you listening? Pay attention to the good doctor, because she’s about to drop some (for some reason much needed) wisdom on all of us.

Why you should not put garlic in your vagina.
A thread.
Garlic contains allicin, in THE LAB it MAY have antifungal (i.e. anti yeast) properties. This is in a lab, not even in mice. Just a dish of cells. Your vagina is not a dish of cells. #vaginaisanogarliczone 1/8

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 23, 2019

Lots of vaginal garlic aficionados (I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TWEET THAT IN 2019, BUT HERE WE ARE) recommend inserting a clove. This means they don't understand for allicin to be released the garlic has to be cut or crushed. Sigh. #vaginaisanogarliczone 2/8

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 23, 2019

Garlic could have bacteria from the soil. Bacteria from the soil can be pathogenic — bad for the body. That's why we clean wounds. If you actually happen to have an inflamed yeasty vagina that soil bacteria would be more likely to infect #vaginaisanogarliczone 3/8

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 23, 2019

Are you listening? Because Dr. Gunter isn’t done yet.

So for garlic to work you would have to crush it and stuff it up somehow. There is still the dirt thing. And the cut up garlic on raw tissues thing (OUCH). And the fishing of the garlic out by the gyno thing. #vaginaisanogarliczone 4/8

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 23, 2019

Garlic can cause biofilms on braces, so could garlic contribute to biofilms in the vagina? Biologically plausible. Biofilms are bad. You do not want them to form especially when you have yeast. Effect of garlic good bacteria also unknown #vaginaisanogarliczone 5/8

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 23, 2019

As 50-70% of women who self treat for vaginal yeast never actually had a yeast infection you can't say much, except half of them never had yeast to begin with so the irritation they had may have been a temporary thing and resolving wasn't garlic related #vaginaisanogarliczone 6/8

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 23, 2019

And the placebo effect is strong. If you think vaginal garlic is going to make you feel better, you may very well feel better temporarily. #vaginaisanogarliczone 7/8

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 23, 2019

And then Dr. Gunter concluded her argument.

My advice, do not take medical advice from anyone recommending vaginal garlic for yeast or anything else. If you enjoyed this thread, you will like my book The Vagina Bible (August 27) #vaginaisanogarliczone https://t.co/G3azTcxTaI 8/8

— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 23, 2019

So what’s the lesson to be learned to be here? Stick to proven, over-the-counter treatments and consult your doctor before you stick anything anywhere, yeasty or not. And be sure to get your hands on a copy of Dr. Gunter’s upcoming book, The Vagina Bible.

Well, I think that old wives’ tale has now been put to bed…