A 'health' fad of which I'd never heard . . .

. . . and which sounds like a marvellous way to fleece the gullible! The Los Angeles Times reports:

Vaginal steam baths, called chai-yok, are said to reduce stress, fight infections, clear hemorrhoids, regulate menstrual cycles and aid infertility, among many other health benefits. In Korea, many women steam regularly after their monthly periods.

There is folk wisdom — and even some logic — to support the idea that the carefully targeted steam may provide some physiological benefits for women. But there are no studies to document its effectiveness, and few American doctors have even heard of it.

"It sounds like voodoo medicine that sometimes works," said Dr. Vicken Sahakian, medical director of Pacific Fertility Center in Los Angeles.

There's more at the link.

Vaginal steaming? Ye Gods and little fishes . . . I note that some doctors are advising against it. One man has even made a spoof commercial, which he's put on YouTube, advising men on the pros and cons of the treatment. (I don't think it's safe for work!) There are also a bunch of comments from spa aficionados about it, many of which are emphatically not safe for work - but they're highly entertaining!

Meanwhile, to help us feel less left out, what about something for men? How about male underwear equipped with fans for testicular cooling? What about testicle-shaped basins in bidets, for a more intimate cleansing experience? (Don't even start about receptacles for the . . . oh, never mind!)

Yea, verily I say unto thee, there are times when my mind doth boggle!





Peter