Parsley
A bizarre suggestion was made in January 2019 by women's magazine Marie Claire that parsley could induce periods.
Women may want to make their period come sooner as a means of controlling their cycle ahead of a holiday or special event.
According to the article, parsley is an emmenagogue - a substance that increases menstrual flow - which can 'soften the cervix and level out hormonal imbalances'.
Doctors, including Dr Shazia Malik, a London-based obstetrician-gynaecologist, uged women to never insert vegetables into the vagina, as it could lead to health risks - including potentially death.
Marie Clare has now apologised for the article and taken it down because it is 'misguided'.
Apple cider vinegar
Experts urged women not to use trendy apple cider vinegar to 'tighten' their vaginas in October 2017 after online blogs and forums encouraged women to carry out the bizarre douching technique.
Aside from vinegar being completely ineffective at tightening the vagina, Professor Linda Cardozo from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London warns it could disrupt the organ's delicate 'good' bacteria, putting women at risk of irritation and infections.
To maintain the vagina's strength and tone, women should perform pelvic floor exercises regularly, Professor Cardozo recommends.
Cleansers, lubricants and wipes
Women who use intimate-health products are more at risk of bacterial, fungal and urinary tract infections (UTIs), research in April 2018 from the University of Guelph, suggested.
Vaginal sanitising gels raise women's risk of developing a genital bacterial infection by almost 20 times and a yeast infection, like thrush, by eight times, a study found.
Intimate washes make women 3.5 times more likely to catch a bacterial infection and 2.5 times more at risk of a yeast infestation, the research adds.
Vaginal wipes double the risk of a
