Doctors warn women against TikTok trend that involves using bodily fluid as PERFUME
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If you thought you’d seen it all, then you better hold onto your seat because you’re in for a wild ride. So what exactly are young people getting up to? A new, bizarre trend called ‘vabbing’ has floored both experts and social media users for suggesting using vaginal discharge as ‘perfume’ to attract men.
The term ‘vabbing’ came from the words 'vagina' and 'dabbing'. It was first used as a hashtag on TikTok in June.
The trend involves applying fluids behind the ears and neck and it caught the attention of millions after the concept was introduced by Tiktoker Mandy Lee, whose original video amassed over 1.5 million views.
It claims to increase the chances of attracting men as it spreads pheromones, which are chemicals produced by the body naturally to attract mates, as seen in certain animals.
Using your ‘natural’ perfume has circulated on TikTok. Source: ABC
'I swear if you ‘vab’, you will attract people such as a date, a one-night stand, or you'll just get free drinks all night,' she can be heard saying in the video, which has since been taken down by the platform.
She said: 'Get up there, give 'em a swipe. You don't have to be fresh out of the shower clean but relatively clean.’
'Smear it behind the ears, on the wrists, maybe a little on the neck. I don't know what they're putting in pheromone perfume but it can't replicate your own smell and your own personalised chemicals.’
'Proceed with caution because it works.' she continued.
Source: @_simphiwe96
Even though her video was removed on TikTok, other users kept the trend going to share the technique.
Content creator @jewlieah created a 'Vabbing 101' video to explain how to do the bizarre trend in a supposedly hygienic way. In the video, she warns: 'Disclaimer, I did not come up with vabbing… But I've done it for a week and it has been working for me.'
She instructed women to shower beforehand, ensure their hands are clean before and after applying the discharge and refrain from doing it while on their period. The content creator also urged others not to vab if they have a sexually transmitted illness or if they have an unusual or bad smell coming from their privates.
But doctors disapproved of the trend, arguing that there’s barely any evidence to prove that it works. They added that participating in ‘vabbing’ is counterproductive as it poses serious risks of vaginal infections, including thrush.
Dr Paraskevi Dimitriadi, a private gynaecologist in London, said that it could also lead to issues with fertility.
Source: @jewlieah
Harmful bacteria on women's fingers can result in pelvic inflammatory disease, where the bugs spread from the cervix to organs higher up, Dr Dimitriadi explained. This then damages the fallopian tubes and makes it difficult for fertilised eggs to reach the womb.
‘If you use dirty fingers inside your vagina to collect discharge you can not only potentially traumatise the tissue in your vagina but also spread infection, potentially causing something as serious as a pelvic inflammatory disease.’
'Dirty fingers could also cause bacterial vaginosis or thrush. If you have bacterial vaginosis or thrush your discharge can be malodorous and will not help you attract a partner.'
Others were also sceptical about the entire practice, with author and podcaster Natalie Telfer mocking the craze.
In a separate TikTok video, Natalie told her 1.3 million followers: 'You might be hearing the word “vabbing” going around. At first, I thought it was just the term vaping misspelled–oh no,’
'Here is what the young people are doing. F*****g idiots.’
'Okay, that's mean but honest to god, you have to be f*****g kidding me. Come on, what is wrong with people?’ she asked, bewildered.
Warning: This video contains strong language. If this makes you uncomfortable, we highly recommend you skip watching it entirely.
Source: @catandnatofficial
Dr Dimitriadi confirmed there’s no need to smear fluids anywhere to ‘lure’ the opposite gender as we all have pheromone receptors that help us attract sexual partners, making the practice of vabbing completely unnecessary.
'We secrete the same pheromones throughout the glands of our body. We have pheromones in our sweat. We also secrete pheromones through urine and we don't put that on our bodies.’
'There is absolutely no need to use your vaginal discharge on other parts of your body to attract a partner.'
Another expert jumped into the discussion and questioned whether humans are actually influenced by them in the same way as animals.
Professor Erick Janssen, a neuroscientist in Belgium: 'I am not sure if this is a fad, or perhaps I should say a “vad”, but I seriously question the validity of the claims involved.’
'The actual scientific literature on so-called pheromones is complex.'
Animals including cats, dogs, and snakes detect pheromones with their vomeronasal organ (VNO), which is a sense organ just situated under the roof of the mouth.
Professor Janssen explained: ‘Pheromones are not chemicals that we consciously smell. They are possibly detected by our VNO, but in addition to discussion about whether humans have a real VNO, there also is discussion if it actually works or if there’s some inactive, evolutionary structure left somewhere in our nose.'
What are your thoughts on ‘vabbing’? Do you agree that it’s ridiculous or is the practice worth a shot? Let us know in the comments!
The term ‘vabbing’ came from the words 'vagina' and 'dabbing'. It was first used as a hashtag on TikTok in June.
The trend involves applying fluids behind the ears and neck and it caught the attention of millions after the concept was introduced by Tiktoker Mandy Lee, whose original video amassed over 1.5 million views.
It claims to increase the chances of attracting men as it spreads pheromones, which are chemicals produced by the body naturally to attract mates, as seen in certain animals.
Using your ‘natural’ perfume has circulated on TikTok. Source: ABC
'I swear if you ‘vab’, you will attract people such as a date, a one-night stand, or you'll just get free drinks all night,' she can be heard saying in the video, which has since been taken down by the platform.
She said: 'Get up there, give 'em a swipe. You don't have to be fresh out of the shower clean but relatively clean.’
'Smear it behind the ears, on the wrists, maybe a little on the neck. I don't know what they're putting in pheromone perfume but it can't replicate your own smell and your own personalised chemicals.’
'Proceed with caution because it works.' she continued.
Source: @_simphiwe96
Even though her video was removed on TikTok, other users kept the trend going to share the technique.
Content creator @jewlieah created a 'Vabbing 101' video to explain how to do the bizarre trend in a supposedly hygienic way. In the video, she warns: 'Disclaimer, I did not come up with vabbing… But I've done it for a week and it has been working for me.'
She instructed women to shower beforehand, ensure their hands are clean before and after applying the discharge and refrain from doing it while on their period. The content creator also urged others not to vab if they have a sexually transmitted illness or if they have an unusual or bad smell coming from their privates.
But doctors disapproved of the trend, arguing that there’s barely any evidence to prove that it works. They added that participating in ‘vabbing’ is counterproductive as it poses serious risks of vaginal infections, including thrush.
Dr Paraskevi Dimitriadi, a private gynaecologist in London, said that it could also lead to issues with fertility.
Source: @jewlieah
Harmful bacteria on women's fingers can result in pelvic inflammatory disease, where the bugs spread from the cervix to organs higher up, Dr Dimitriadi explained. This then damages the fallopian tubes and makes it difficult for fertilised eggs to reach the womb.
‘If you use dirty fingers inside your vagina to collect discharge you can not only potentially traumatise the tissue in your vagina but also spread infection, potentially causing something as serious as a pelvic inflammatory disease.’
'Dirty fingers could also cause bacterial vaginosis or thrush. If you have bacterial vaginosis or thrush your discharge can be malodorous and will not help you attract a partner.'
Others were also sceptical about the entire practice, with author and podcaster Natalie Telfer mocking the craze.
In a separate TikTok video, Natalie told her 1.3 million followers: 'You might be hearing the word “vabbing” going around. At first, I thought it was just the term vaping misspelled–oh no,’
'Here is what the young people are doing. F*****g idiots.’
'Okay, that's mean but honest to god, you have to be f*****g kidding me. Come on, what is wrong with people?’ she asked, bewildered.
Warning: This video contains strong language. If this makes you uncomfortable, we highly recommend you skip watching it entirely.
Source: @catandnatofficial
Dr Dimitriadi confirmed there’s no need to smear fluids anywhere to ‘lure’ the opposite gender as we all have pheromone receptors that help us attract sexual partners, making the practice of vabbing completely unnecessary.
'We secrete the same pheromones throughout the glands of our body. We have pheromones in our sweat. We also secrete pheromones through urine and we don't put that on our bodies.’
'There is absolutely no need to use your vaginal discharge on other parts of your body to attract a partner.'
Another expert jumped into the discussion and questioned whether humans are actually influenced by them in the same way as animals.
Professor Erick Janssen, a neuroscientist in Belgium: 'I am not sure if this is a fad, or perhaps I should say a “vad”, but I seriously question the validity of the claims involved.’
'The actual scientific literature on so-called pheromones is complex.'
Animals including cats, dogs, and snakes detect pheromones with their vomeronasal organ (VNO), which is a sense organ just situated under the roof of the mouth.
Professor Janssen explained: ‘Pheromones are not chemicals that we consciously smell. They are possibly detected by our VNO, but in addition to discussion about whether humans have a real VNO, there also is discussion if it actually works or if there’s some inactive, evolutionary structure left somewhere in our nose.'
What are your thoughts on ‘vabbing’? Do you agree that it’s ridiculous or is the practice worth a shot? Let us know in the comments!
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