Sorry, what?

There's apparently a new trend which involves women cleaning their vagina with the aid of a cucumber. There is nothing sexual about it, purely for cleansing purposes. Aptly named, the cucumber cleanse, it involves the outer skin of a cucumber being removed and then the remainder of the naked cucumber being inserted into the vagina. It's then twisted around for 20 minutes. The guide is to do it until it's warm. Gross, we know. A Canadian doctor has now spoken out against this cleanse and is urging women to step away from the cucumbers. Dr. Jen Gunter has taken to her blog to warn women about the dangers involved with such a cleanse. She says that this sort of practice could lead to serious side effects, such as HIV or gonorrhea. Doing any sort of cleanse on your vagina, in particular using a cucumber, can harm the good bacteria and disrupt the mucosal surface. Jen says:

"By damaging lactobacilli and the mucosa attempts at vaginal cleaning increase a woman’s risk of contracting HIV or gonorrhea if she is exposed. Paradoxically it will also cause odour. The pH in the vagina is controlled by the good bacteria, the same bacteria that attempts at “cleansing” actually damage."

Jen also stresses that it's not just about messing with the natural way your vagina works, but she also wants to remind women that cucumbers can pass on fungi or bacteria. No matter how much of a clean you give it. She ended by saying:

"So keep the cucumbers out of your vaginas ladies, whether for cleaning or masturbation. Vaginas are a great self-contained ecosystem and do not need any additional support from vaginal vegetables to stay healthy. Anyone who tells you otherwise is misinformed, selling a product, or both. And remember, don’t give opportunistic infections an opportunity is a good motto."