Vaginas might just be the most extraordinary part of the female anatomy. They're a key source of sexual pleasure, they bring babies into the world, and they're just beautiful all around!
I've always been aware of this ~magical~ muscular canal's powerful capabilities, but I recently saw a TikTok that made me ask myself, "What CAN'T vaginas do?"
In the video, a woman describes how when she's constipated, she sticks her thumb inside her vagina while on the toilet and is able to feel the poop through her vaginal wall, and push it out of her butt.
She said she does this when the poop is "turtling" — AKA, on the verge of coming out of her butthole — and she's able to "pop" it out.
After examining the comments section, it became clear that there's a community of people out there who have been using this "technique" for a while now!
I had never heard of this, so I decided to reach out to Dr. Jennifer Lincoln — a Portland-based gynecologist — for a medical perspective.
It turns out that this method has an actual name: It's called "splinting." This is how it should be done, according to the University of Michigan Health System:
While splinting can be helpful in relieving constipation, Dr. Lincoln said she would not recommend doing this routinely. "If people need to splint frequently in order to empty their bowels, that is a sign that they should chat with their doctor to see how to better manage constipation and rule out any pelvic prolapse," she said.
Dr. Lincoln said if you do decide to splint, "just be sure your hands are clean, and stop if something hurts!"
