Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 16, 2026

Modeling Healthy and Dysbiotic Vaginal Microenvironments in a Human Vagina-on-a-Chip
Published on: February 16, 2024
Traditional intravaginal practices and the heterosexual transmission of disease: a review
Objective:
To review reports on the use and effects of traditional intravaginal substances and practices.
Method:
The medical and social science literature of the past 50 years regarding use and effects of traditional intravaginal substances and practices is reviewed.
Results:
Traditional intravaginal practices have been described in 11 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, and also in Qatar, Indonesia, Thailand, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the United States. Women's reasons for the practices include personal hygiene, disease prevention or treatment, and enhancement of sexual experience. Few studies document damage to the vaginal epithelium or changes in vaginal flora due to these practices. No prospective studies link these practices to disease transmission.
Conclusion:
The determination of how these practices affect disease transmission will require precise definition of independent variables, which is difficult because of the diversity of the practices. It is appropriate to search for intervening variables; specifically, the effects on the vaginal pH, flora, and epithelium.
Related Concept Videos
Trichomoniasis
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Amebiasis
Genital Herpes
Microbiota of the Urogenital Tract
Infection
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...

