A Canadian gynaecologist has denounced the practice of putting jade eggs – golf ball-sized stones – in the vagina as dangerous in an open letter to Gwyneth Paltrow, after an article appeared on her lifestyle website Goop talking about their alleged benefits.
Goop recently featured a Q&A with lifestyle blogger Shiva Rose, who claimed the vaginal jade eggs create kidney strength, help cultivate sexual energy, increase orgasm and stimulate key reflexology around vaginal walls, among other things.
The Goop website added: “Fans say regular use increases chi, orgasms, vaginal muscle tone, hormonal balance, and feminine energy in general. Shiva Rose has been practicing with them for about seven years, and raves about the results; we tried them, too, and were so convinced we put them into the goop shop.”
The eggs, which are available to buy on the site for £45-£53, have since sold out.
But gynaecologist Dr Jen Gunter, who is currently based in the US, has since denounced the eggs as “the biggest load of garbage” in her open letter to Paltrow.
She wrote: “As for the recommendation that women sleep with a jade egg in their vaginas I would like to point out that jade is porous which could allow bacteria to get inside and so the egg could act like a fomite.
“This is not good, in case you were wondering. It could be a risk factor for bacterial vaginosis or even the potentially deadly toxic shock syndrome.”
Gunter also criticised the idea put forward by Rose about eggs being used in ancient times by concubines to please their emperors, saying: “Nothing says female empowerment more than the only reason to do this is for your man! And then the claim that they can balance hormones is, quite simply, biologically impossible.
“Pelvic floor exercises can help with incontinence and even give stronger orgasms for some women, but they cannot change hormones. As for female energy? I’m a gynecologist and I don’t know what that is!? How does one test for it?”
Gunter ends her letter saying: “The only thing your post got right is to check with your doctor before using one. So let me give you some free advice, don’t use vaginal jade eggs.”
Goop did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A disclaimer below the post says that the views in the article intend to highlight alternative studies and induce conversation and are for informational purposes only, while adding that it shouldn’t be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
