6 harmful vagina myths that need to die, according to a gynecologist

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

• From unnecessary vagina-cleaning products to organic tampons that are marketed as healthier options, there are seemingly countless myths about the vagina and vulva.
• In her book "The Vagina Bible," gynecologist Dr. Jen Gunter aims to debunk lots of these pervasive myths about vaginal health.
• These are some pervasive vagina- and vulva-related myths that Gunter wishes would go away forever.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more.

Myths and misinformation about the vagina and vulva are as old as the genitals themselves, and today still abound.

Whether it's jade eggs marketed as a tool to harness the vagina's energy or douches to clean out already-healthy and clean nether regions, the internet and your local drugstore are filled with sexual health claims that make gynecologists cringe.

In her book "The Vagina Bible," social-media savvy gynecologist Dr. Jen Gunter aims to debunk all of the vagina-related myths she's encountered during her two-decades-plus stint as a women's health provider.

These are some pervasive vagina- and vulva-related myths that Gunter wishes would go away forever, and the truth behind them.

Myth: Eating certain foods will make your vagina smell good.

One of the most strange yet pervasive vagina myths Gunter has encountered over her last 25 years as a gynecologist is that eating certain foods like citrus fruit can make a person's vagina smell more pleasant.

The myth seems to stem from anecdotal reports about the phenomenon.

In her book "The Vagina Bible," Gunter wrote that this claim is not just factually incorrect, but also "supports the tired and destructive trope that there is something wrong with a normal, healthy vagina."

The healthy bacteria in a person's vagina, in addition to their cervical mucus, is responsible for the smell of their nether regions, Gunter wrote, and foods a person eats are unable to kill, multiply, or alter those bacteria in any way.

There are also no studies that suggest the types of foods a person does or doesn't eat will impact how they smell down there, and Gunter doesn't want people to swear off certain foods in an attempt to make their vagina smell "better."

If the vagina does smell abnormal, it's likely due to an infection, which calls for a trip to the gynecologist, not a host of foods to cover up the stench.

Myth: You could induce labor if you have sex while pregnant.

Some pregnant women may be afraid to have penetrative sex during pregnancy even if they desire it because they fear it could induce early labor.

According to Gunter, this idea is nothing more than an urban legend.

"The idea that a penis is mighty enough to bring on labor is, to be honest, a bit eye-rolling," Gunter wrote.

When it comes to women with low-risk pregnancies, sex during those nine months is perfectly safe and won't make women any more likely to have a pre-term labor than had they abstained from sex during pregnancy, according to one large study of pregnant women.

For women who have  increased-risk pregnancies due to cervical problems, doctors may tell them to abstain from penetrative sex to reduce pre-term labor risk, although little evidence suggests this can actually help, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The NIH researchers wrote that, despite definitive research on pre-term labor catalysts, this advice is a "reasonable recommendation until better evidence emerges."

Myth: You'll have the best orgasms if you find your G-spot.

The concept of the G-spot, a supposed pleasure-inducing zone inside the front wall of the vagina, has eluded women for decades.

But according to Gunter, recent research suggests the G-spot doesn't even exist, and even if it does, believing finding it is the key to out-of-this-world orgasms is dangerous since sexual pleasure is more complicated than touching one area of the body and calling it a day.

"It is not surprising to me when I hear of women who fake orgasms with male partners," Gunter wrote. "After all, they have been led to believe that a female orgasm should be reached with a penis by way of a imaginary spot."

Researchers who have recently studied this concept have been unable to locate this special spot that German researcher Ernst Gräfenberg first described in a 1950 paper he authored, even with the use of imaging scans and biopsies.

Additionally, ultrasounds that examined the clitoris during masturbation and vaginal penetration revealed that both actions cause the clitoris to swell, meaning that various forms of sexual stimulation, whether they involve physically touching the clitoris or not, result in the brain sending pleasure signals to the clitoris. 

Gunter said it's likely that Gräfenberg misconstrued other parts of a woman's genitals, like the nerve ending-packed clitoris, as this seemingly new discovery of the G-spot.

See Also:

• We asked 17 dietitians what foods they'd take to a desert island, and chocolate was the clear favorite
• We tried store-bought pumpkin pies from 5 major grocery stores and Wegmans' tasted practically homemade
• Shane Dawson's mom visited a crowded Morphe store to buy his makeup line, and fans banded together to make sure she got a parking spot