TikTok is the perfect platform for all kinds of strange phenomena. There have been thousands of dances, trends, and experiments, many of which have raised eyebrows. Recently, a new trend has arisen amongst the women folk of TikTok. A concept called “vabbing” has women lathering themselves with vaginal secretions. They say it is the perfect perfume to attract sexual partners. Scientists are not quite as convinced.
Vabbing for romance
Over the centuries, there have been many a concoction created aimed to help women find a partner. From love potions to a home-cooked meal, one might have assumed they have tried it all. However, there has been a new Tiktok trend that’s been going around. In the videos, these women are incorporating a practice called vabbing into their self-care routines. In short, ‘vabbing’ is the practice of wearing your vaginal secretions as you would perfume. They swear it helps them attract a partner – sexually.
Shan Boodram wrote a book called “The Game of Desire”. In this book, she uses her knowledge as a sexologist to describe the concept of vabbing. Boodram says she has been vabbing for 15 years, and she attests to its success in finding a partner. “If copulins [chemicals secreted by the vagina] are used as perfume, then it will attract anyone traditionally attracted to women with vulvas,” wrote Boodram. She also said: “I am certain that every single time I employ it, it makes me feel like an enchanted goddess with a delicious secret.”
Then, a woman named Mandy Lee posted a video on TikTok about it. Her post was viewed over 1 million times. “I swear if you vab you will attract people, like a date, [or a one-night stand. Or you’ll just get free drinks all night,” said Mandy in her video. Furthermore, those who have been vabbing for years commented on their stories, affirming its success rate. For instance, once TikTok user @jewlieah, claimed that she “vabbed” every day for a week, and had success with the technique.
Read: Elon Musk Wonders Whether TikTok Is Destroying Civilization
Does it work?
It has been known for quite some time that pheromones have a lot to do with how animals communicate with each other. For example, rabbits’ pheromones help a new mother’s suckling baby’s find her nipples. Dr. Alexandra James and Dr. Andrea Wahling of La Trobe University gave their explanation of how pheromones work with animals. They say that some scientists agree with the phenomenon, but others do not.
“Bodily secretions such as vaginal fluids contain pheromones that can convey a range of information about a person, including their genetic makeups. In the animal kingdom, different pheromones can do different things, such as incite a behavioral response. While pheromones play an important role in how animals communicate with each other, research is divided as to whether pheromones play a significant role in sexual and romantic compatibility for humans.”
What not to do when vabbing
If vabbing sounds like you would like to try, there are a few factors to keep in mind. Dr. Dimitriadi, from the Centre for Surgery confirmed that it is not unhealthy to ‘vab’. But, it is extremely important to make sure your hands are clean. “If you use dirty fingers inside your vagina to collect discharge you can not only potentially traumatize the tissue in your vagina,” said Dr. Dimirtiadi. “But, also spread infection, potentially causing something as serious as a pelvic inflammatory disease. Dirty fingers could also cause bacterial vaginosis or thrush.” She added: “If you have bacterial vaginosis or thrush your discharge can be malodorous and will not help you attract a partner,” she added.