Gynaecologists warn it may cause infection and infertility
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Gynaecologists and other maternal health experts have warned women against using alum to tighten their vagina, saying it may cause infection and infertility.
The experts disclosed this in exclusive interviews with PUNCH HealthWise, stressing that using alum to wash the vagina cannot restore lost virginity.
Alum is an inorganic chemical compound that generally comprises water molecules, aluminum or other metals, and sulfates.
Uche Agu, Associate Professor and Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku/Ozalla, Enugu State, told The PUNCH the practice is a misconception by women who think alum will make their vagina tight and give them a sense of virginity.
“Using alum to wash the vagina is a misconception by some women that it gives them a sense of tightness and a sense of virginity. But it is just a misconception and deceit because it doesn’t mean anything,” he explained.
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Fallopian tubes blockage, pregnancy complications
“It is very dangerous because alum can be corrosive and cause some burning and irritation of the vaginal wall,” Agu said, according to The PUNCH.
“It can also cause scarring and might even block or narrow the place terribly that the vagina might require some surgical interventions to open it up. So, it is a very bad practice. It does not help anyone, rather it is dangerous.
“When you are using that substance on the vagina, by the time it erodes the walls of the vagina, causing burning, then infection can set in. That infection can spread up to the uterus and cause infertility in the future.”
Infection from the use of alum in washing the vagina can block the fallopian tubes, cause infertility, and cause complications in pregnancy if the woman escapes infertility, Agu added.
“If the woman eventually gets pregnant and the vagina is narrowed, it will be difficult for a baby to pass through a narrow canal.”
