A recent report by a national publication explored the new obsession, noting that the pearls had become a go-to solution for Kenyan women seeking solutions to reproductive health issues such as recurrent yeast and bacterial vaginosis infections, infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Health website Healthline warns women against Yoni Pearls, referring to the products as "basically vagina teabags."
"They're bundles of cloth-wrapped herbs marketed as vaginal or uterus cleansers and detoxifiers. You shouldn't be putting them inside your body for 1 minute, let alone the 24 to 72 hours recommended on yoni pearl packaging," Healthline reports.
On how these products work, the report adds: "One creator of the product says the herbs in these pearls create a pulling effect that draws toxins, bad bacteria, dead cells, old blood clots, mucus and more from your yoni, while at the same time tightening your yoni and deterring vaginal dryness and other ailments."
"Another says that the nuggets detox the uterus, cleanse the vagina, quell vaginal inflammation, promote a healthier reproductive system, and even help with endometriosis, irregular periods, fibroids, PCOS, blocked tubes, and ovarian cysts."
There is absolutely no research that supports the claims of how these pearls work, with Healthline reiterating that it would then be questionable for anyone to insert them into the highly sensitive area.
"Spread through marketing, media, and misogynists, the idea that vaginas are smelly, offensive, and dirty has been going around our culture for a long, long time," Gynaecologist Felice Gersh said on the matter.
The study further notes that combined with lack of education around how the vagina is supposed to look, smell, and function, this shaming leads people to buy products that are downright dangerous.