Gwyneth Paltrow is back at it again with the weird health theories. Only this time, it's sexual. The actress, known for her crazy diets and recipes and vaginal steaming, is encouraging women (or followers of her website, Goop) to put jade eggs in their vaginas. For female empowerment, of course.
For all of you wondering what a jade egg is, it's a golf ball-sized object that is meant to be thrust up a woman's vagina in order to boost orgasms, increase vaginal muscle growth, and improve hormonal balance and feminine energy. The most intense part—women are supposed to keep it up there all day, or while sleeping. Okay, ouch and TMI. Goop is selling these (kinky) eggs for $66, and are currently sold out.
This bizarre practice of using jade eggs caught the attention of Dr. Jen Gunter, OB/GYN, who responded to Paltrow's promotion of this in a blog post, saying:
"I read the post on GOOP and all I can tell you is it is the biggest load of garbage I have read on your site since vaginal steaming. It’s even worse than claiming bras cause cancer. But hey, you aren’t one to let facts get in the way of profiting from snake oil."
Burn. Dr. Gunter goes on to say (rant):
“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...As for female energy? I'm a gynecologist and I don't know what that is!?”
Do women really need to out jade eggs up their vaginas to boost female energy? If anything, it seems like it would restrict energy...if you know what I mean. And I haven't even got to the absurd part yet. There is a question-and-answer write-up with a "lifestyle and beauty guru," Shiva Rose who claims she's been using jade eggs for years and that it enhances not only your libido, but also your physical appearance. Um, I call bullshit.
For anyone curious about the magic of jade eggs, I encourage you not to try it. Dr. Gunter discusses the health risks of this practice, saying that Jade is porous, so leaving the egg in one's vagina during sleep could allow bacteria to get inside and cause bacterial vaginosis or Toxic Shock Syndrome. If I wanted Toxic Shock Syndrome, I would leave a tampon up there.
Gwyneth Paltrow is full of nutty ideas that are poured all over her website for people to buy into. As for these jade eggs, Dr. Gunter is right. It's a load of crap. Any women needing to feel empowered by putting eggs up their vagina seriously needs to check themselves. There are other ways to improve "feminine energy." Like Girls Night Out.