Dora says she learned about vaginal drying during her traditional marriage counseling sessions, and her husband has never complained about their sex life. Women in this southern African country have long used herbs to curb natural lubrication. They say the practice helps satisfy their partners. Traditionally, women inserted herbs into their vaginas, but medical experts warn that the practice can lead to abrasions โ scratches and other open wounds โ during intercourse, which heightens the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Now, most women consume herbal powders by adding them to porridge or other food. Dora, who once inserted herbs and salt crystals into her vagina, agrees that oral powders work well.
Experts say the use of vaginal drying agents is widespread in Zambia, though there are few statistics that track the practice. About half were currently using them. If there is, it is one out of Josephine Munsaka sells traditional herbs at Mtendere Market in Lusaka. Her herbs include powders, taken orally, that contribute to vaginal dryness. The practice is grounded in a false belief that female genitalia can be loose or watery as a sign of frequent sexual intercourse, health experts say.
Vaginal drying agents might seem to be effective because they can cause the vaginal walls to swell, Hachaambwa says. Once a woman stops using them, she can get infections, possibly caused by using the drying agents, which lead to abnormal discharge. And that discharge could lead her to use the drying agents again, he says. Women who experience abnormal discharge could have fungal, bacterial or sexually transmitted infections, he says.
But even without the risk of abrasions, a dry vagina can pose other problems, he says. Malambo, 30, who also asked that only her first name be used, says she drinks herbs to keep her body warm and her vagina tight. Iris Phiri, national coordinator for the Zambia National Traditional Counselors Association, says societal pressure has forced women to use vagina drying herbs to keep their men from cheating.
