So many times celebrities endorse healthcare products without understanding the implications. Sometimes they end up magnifying misinformation on the subject rather than distinguishing myth from fact. One such has been the vaginal tightening pill advocated by actor Nia Sharma, which is not scientifically proven till date. Besides, it only strengthens misconceptions about vaginal health.
To understand it, let’s go over the basics.
What is vaginal laxity?
Basically, it means that vaginal muscles loosen up. But this is a natural physiological process and the functioning of vaginal walls and muscles does get affected by a woman’s natural reproductive cycle. Pregnancy puts physical pressure on the vagina. For women with multiple childbirths, vaginal laxity will happen.
Also after menopause, a lack of hormones and vaginal dryness mean that the muscles loosen up and there is some numbness. Mostly laxity doesn’t pose a problem and you can live with it. Besides, everybody has a different muscle tone and reacts differently. A few may have unmanageable symptoms like involuntary leaking of urine, the rectum bulging into the vaginal wall and creating discomfort. This is called prolapse. You could also have recurrent vaginal infection. Treatment is needed in such cases.
Why you can’t trust tablets?
Their medical efficacy has not been borne out by scientific literature, they are not doctor-approved or tested, and there is no standardisation of ingredients used, some of which are herbal. In fact, some of them can aggravate existing infection and trigger an allergic reaction to these medicines.
Besides, most OTC pills have astringents and may just constrict the superficial tissue layers and not the extensive muscular system of the vaginal wall.
What can be done to maintain vaginal muscles?
First and foremost, maintenance and tightening are to be done only if you develop problems that interfere with your day-to-day functioning after menopause and I would definitely not recommend them for young girls. The vaginal wall is connected to the pelvic floor muscles. So you have to strengthen those muscles through pelvic floor exercises, like squats, Kegel exercises diaphragmatic breathing, anything to contract the muscles and build elasticity and control.
Non-surgical techniques involve using laser and high intensity focussed ultrasound (HIFU) waves to reactivate the vaginal area, improve blood circulation and improve collagen secretion. The heat from the waves triggers collagen production. It can even reduce or eliminate vaginal bacterial infections. All you need are about three sittings of five-minute sessions. Surgery is the last option in case of prolapse.
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It is important to understand that vaginal health is a serious business and needs step-by-step counselling by a doctor. An OTC pill is not the solution.
(Dr Sharma is a senior consultant, obstetrics, gynaecology and robotic surgery, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai)
