Dr. Jen Gunter, known as “Twitter’s gynecologist” and Gwyneth Paltrow’s worst nightmare — after debunking several claims made on the woo-woo wellness website Goop — says “not giving women facts is the opposite of feminism.”
That’s the thrust of her new book, “The Vagina Bible: The Vulva and the Vagina — Separating the Myth from the Medicine,” a sort of owner’s manual for females. Gunter, a longtime OB-GYN in San Francisco’s Bay Area, goes after both Big Pharma for failing to take female patients seriously, and what she calls “Big Natural,” the $4 trillion wellness industry.
“[The latter] doesn’t have to prove anything they do works . . . you don’t know what’s in supplements, it can be dirt from someone’s backyard,” the 53-year-old tells The Post.
Here, Gunter, who also hosts “Jensplaining,” a streaming talk show that calls out pseudoscience, demystifies the most common south-of-the-border myths.
Myth: Intrauterine devices (IUDs) cause infertility
Truth: “If you use an IUD and pull it out next month, you’re as likely to get pregnant as if you didn’t have one,” says Gunter. “It’s the same with the birth-control pill.” While the disastrous Dalkon Shield, a since-recalled 1970s IUD did cause infertility, later iterations of the device do not.
Myth: The G spot is key to a good orgasm
Truth: The “so-called G spot,” writes Gunter, is a misreading of a 1950 paper by Dr. Ernst Grafenberg. In truth, she says, “there’s no gland or structure that’s separate from the clitoris,” and each person has individual pleasure preferences. When it comes to sex, she says, “The answer is not how did you get to the party, but were you there and did you have fun.” She calls G-shots, a New Age-y procedure in which a physician injects collagen into the anterior vaginal wall to boost the pleasure center, “biologically preposterous.”
Myth: Most women can orgasm through intercourse
Truth: Only 1 out of 3 women can orgasm from thrusting alone. “It all comes down to clitoral stimulation, plus it’s supermental,” Gunter says. She notes that vibrators, oral sex and penetration are all equally good paths to the Big O.
Myth: Organic tampons are better for you
Truth: “It’s a scam,” says Gunter, referencing the crop of 100 percent cotton tampons on the market, Lola ($10 for a box of 18) and Cora ($6 for 16) among them. “These products are more expensive and there’s no data to say they’re better. And we all know the word ‘organic’ doesn’t mean anything anymore.” In fact, Gunter says, “new data suggests that all-cotton tampons might favor the growth of the toxin associated with toxic shock syndrome, and that cotton rayon may be better.”
Myth: Jade eggs improve sexual satisfaction
Truth: Falsely marketed as “an ancient secret of Chinese concubines,” Gunter calls pricey jade eggs a “bastardization of kegel weights,” which at least come in easy-to-clean silicone and a variety of sizes. You’re better off doing no-cost kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor.
Myth: White cotton underwear is best for preventing infection
Truth: It doesn’t matter what color underwear you wear. “If dye in your underwear comes off, there’s a problem with your underwear,” she says. “We don’t tell people who have skin conditions all over their body to wear white clothes,” adding, “It’s a purity myth.” For those worried about smell or moisture, Gunter swears by “high-performing wicking fabrics.”
Myth: Steaming cleanses your uterus
Truth: Gunter calls vaginal steaming “a Rubik’s Cube of wrong” — as in, “you can twist it anyway, and there’s still something wrong with it.” Vaginal steaming or “vajacials” supposedly cleanse the uterus of what Gunter calls “nonexistent” toxins. Not only do you risk getting burned — introducing oxygen could “upset your [bacterial] ecosystem.”
Myth: Hair removal keeps things cleaner
Truth: There’s no right answer when it comes to shearing, shaving and sugaring. “I want women to know that it’s normal to have pubic hair, even if they choose to alter it cosmetically,” says Gunter. Still, she notes, “there can be an increased risk of STI acquisition . . . because hair removal creates micro-trauma, and creates these little portals of entry.”
Myth: You should be worried about your vaginal pH
Truth: “Your bacteria has it under control, it’s looking after you,” says Gunter. Steer clear of washes, wipes and douches that purport to balance or regulate the acids down there, as “they will paradoxically probably damage it.” In her book, Gunter suggests opting for an unscented liquid Castile soap such as Dr. Bronner’s or a pure glycerin one, like Pears.
Myth: Eating pineapple will help you smell better down there
Truth: If this laughable old wives’ tale were true, says Gunter, “you would smell sweet everywhere.” Even worse, it perpetuates the belief that “there’s something wrong with the normal way a woman smells.”