There are many medicines, herbal concoctions, and at-home massages that can help you grease your pipes to get rid of stubborn poo. However, the internet is now learning about a surprisingly common technique many women use to relieve their constipation—vaginal splinting.
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What is vaginal splinting?
Earlier this year, a TikTok user uploaded a hack that fellow vagina-owners can use if they are experiencing constipation. While the video, which garnered over 3 million views, has been taken down, the technique has caught a lot of traction since then. So, how do you do it?
The user, who goes by @ambrosialicewf, said that when you’re feeling backed up, you need to put your thumb inside your vagina and press it on the wall that is facing the anus—otherwise known as the perineum. You should be able to feel the stool in the area and in her words just ‘pop it out.’ She said:
Hook your thumb in your vagina.
You can feel the poop and you can just (pop sound) it out. Let me know how it goes. You’re welcome.
Is this a safe practice?
The exact percentage of women who use this technique is currently known, but Michigan Health suggests that an estimated 30% may be occasionally relying on this practice for constipation.
The increased need or ability to splint could be linked to another condition, rectoceles—which is when the supportive walls of the vagina drops down and as a result the anal wall bulges into the vagina. M.D. Pamela Fairchild told Michigan Health:
If your stool is soft and formed, but still difficult to pass and you feel the bulge in the vagina when you try to poop, you may have a rectocele complicating your stool passage.
While she says that it is a safe practice, she does recommend getting checked by a physician if you’re doing it frequently. According to her, ‘every bowel movement should not be a struggle.’
But if you are going to give splinting a try, intimate health expert Stephanie Taylor says that you should wash your hands thoroughly before inserting it inside the vagina. She said in conversation with Cosmopolitan:
If you are to try this technique, ensure hands are freshly washed before inserting [a finger or thumb into the vaginal canal], as unclean hands can spread bacteria and upset the natural flora.
