It is marketed as a “semen sponge” for cleaning the vagina after sexual activity.
However, doctors are imploring women not to use the ‘Dripstick’ device.
The product may cause thrush, bacterial vaginosis, and discomfort, according to experts.
Using the gadget may make women more susceptible to acquiring an STI, according to one physician.
Twenty Dripstick sponges, which debuted on the market last year, cost $25 (£20).
Doctors’ efforts to discourage women from using it have caused it to once again go viral.
Awkward Essentials, the company that distributes it, advertised it on TikTok as being placed inside a custard-filled doughnut.
The clip boasted about its ability to absorb semen “fast” by comparing it to yellow custard.
The viral product resembles a tampon in appearance and is composed of polyurethane, a sponge-like plastic material.
It is essentially a sponge on a stick that is used to clear off “drippy pain” after sexual activity.
It is shipped with Richard Cummings as the return address.
Berkshire general practitioner Dr. Hannah Crowther, who specializes in women’s health, deemed it a “poor idea.
Dr. Crowther told, “In general, vaginal bacteria should be left alone.”
The more you douche, the more probable it is that you will disturb the equilibrium of your beneficial bacteria and produce difficulties.
She added, “It is unsettling if individuals are using it as contraception.”
On the Awkward Essentials website, it is emphasized that dripsticks are not menstrual products, contraceptives, or STI/STD prevention.
However, it is touted as a ‘hygiene’ product, which is contested by several physicians.
In a TikTok video, Dr. Gemma Newman, a London-based general practitioner with a background in gynecology, begs people not to purchase or use the product.
Dr. Newman stated, “This is not necessary after sexual activity.”
‘It is up to you if you want to wash after sex, but do not enter anything into your vagina; it is self-cleansing and you will disturb your microbiome.
It is not required.
A&E physician and TikTok comic Dr. Maddy Lucy Dann warned on social media about the hazards of the ‘useless’ sponge, stating that it might cause ‘damage’
After being tagged in an advertisement for the ‘Dripstick,’ Dr. Dann emphasized to her followers that vaginal cleansing is unnecessary.
She stated, “Any product that implies you need to dry off or clean your vagina after sexual activity is absurd.” Don’t employ them.’
Dr. Dann criticizes the product for humiliating women for using the restroom to clean up after having sex.
She stated, “They humiliate and demonize completely normal behaviors to sell you a cure.”
She suggests ‘gravity’ and just going to the bathroom after sex to clean up will do the trick, adding, ‘Urinating after sex is also very essential since it can clear the urethra and minimize the incidence of UTIs.’
However, the ‘Dripstick’ is not only disliked because it is superfluous.
Additionally, Dr. Dann warns of health risks.
She stated, “Inserting a dry sponge into the vagina might produce micro-abrasions or rips, putting you at risk for discomfort, BV, and yeast infection.”
This is because the sponge could eliminate good bacteria, upset the vaginal microbiome, and alter the vagina’s natural ph, creating the ideal breeding ground for infections like thrush and BV.
The likelihood of acquiring thrush or BV increases if the skin is inflamed or injured; this could occur if the sponge irritates or dries the region.
Dr. Dann, who has more than 940K followers, continued, “If the person you are sleeping with has a sexually transmitted illness and it is present in the ejaculate, the irritation and micro tears caused by the Dripstick could increase your risk of contracting that STI from your partner.”
This product is “hated” by Canadian-American gynecologist Dr. Jennifer Gunter.
In a TikTok video from the previous year, the author of the book The Vagina Bible advocates using a flannel to wipe up after the sexual activity.
Now that the product has gone viral again this week, Dr. Gunter has stated that she is “sick” of the Dripstick firm attempting to “shame” women into “using a product you don’t need.”
In a TikTok video, she stated, “There is no evidence to show that cleaning the vagina with this Dripstick product is beneficial to the vaginal microbiome.”
We might say the reverse because every attempt at intravaginal cleaning is accompanied by damage to the vaginal ecosystem.
She said, “Listen to specialists, not salespeople.”
In a Frequently Asked Questions section on the ‘Dripstick’ website, Awkward Essentials notes that the vagina is self-cleaning and that the sponge should be used “only if there is extra cum present.”
According to Awkward Essentials, this sponge is designed to absorb liquids and includes no additives.
Great if you don’t mind the drip or have alternative methods that work.
The company Awkward Essentials has been contacted for comment.
