{"id":24750,"date":"2025-09-27T11:01:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T10:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=24750"},"modified":"2025-09-27T11:01:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T10:01:32","slug":"would-adding-lemon-sugar-to-sanitary-pads-prevent-infection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/would-adding-lemon-sugar-to-sanitary-pads-prevent-infection\/","title":{"rendered":"Would adding lemon, sugar to sanitary pads prevent infection?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Claim:<\/strong> A Facebook user, Promise Mgbeosoro, posted a video<\/a> claiming that adding lemon and sugar to a sanitary pad before use will prevent infection.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Verdict:<\/strong> Misleading. Science and medical experts recommend the use of only water on the vagina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Text<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Facebook user, Promise Mgbeosoro, posted a video<\/a> saying that adding lemon and sugar to a sanitary pad before use will prevent infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 She said, \u201cTo prevent infection, do this brilliant idea that my mom taught.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Sept. 20, 2025, the post had over one million views, more than 2,000 comments, and 431 shares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comments under the post showed that most users doubted the claim, questioning its effectiveness and safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herckiss Hersey wrote, \u201cWhere\u2019s the Kool-Aid? I usually add just a little bit.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nkosingiphile R. Mkhatshwa warned, \u201cAnd someone\u2019s child will try this and get sick ayy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another user, Tessy Zak, said, \u201cYou people are just being wicked all in the name of getting money online.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glory Godwin commented, \u201cI wonder wetin some of una dey teach us for world infection, and you added sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DUBAWA decided to fact-check this claim due to its virality and the potential health risk it poses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does science say?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A scientific study<\/a> on vaginal products found that lemon juice is highly acidic and can actually damage vaginal cells and kill Lactobacillus (the \u201cgood\u201d bacteria that protect the vagina from infections). Instead of helping, Lemon juice may weaken the body\u2019s natural defences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HealthShots<\/a>, a women\u2019s health platform, reports that lemon\u2019s citric acid can lead to burning, rashes, and skin irritation, rather than instead of preventing infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research<\/a> on the interplay between sugar and yeast infections shows that high sugar levels encourage the growth of yeast, which is why women with uncontrolled diabetes, where blood sugar is elevated, often experience repeated yeast infections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical News Today<\/a> explains that problems such as irritation, rash, or infection typically occur due to excessive moisture, heat, or prolonged use of a pad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Experts speak<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Medical Director of County Hospital, Azzun Amos, described the practice as unsafe, warning that it could instead expose women to infections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not aware that the addition of any fruit to panty liners gives any benefit. If anything, it can even be a source of infection. The best way to prevent vaginal infection is to maintain good hygiene, wear cotton underwear that allows air into the area, and avoid washing the vagina with soap,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similarly, Christopher Aimakhu, the Second Vice President of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), stressed that there is no scientific basis for the claim. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not aware that this works. I have never read any proven scientific evidence of this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The claim that lemon and sugar on sanitary pads can prevent vaginal infection is misleading. Research and medical experts emphasise that such practices can cause irritation and increase the risk of infections rather than prevent them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Claim: A Facebook user, Promise Mgbeosoro, posted a video claiming that adding lemon and sugar to a sanitary pad before use will prevent infection. Verdict: Misleading. Science and medical experts recommend the use of only water on the vagina. Full Text A Facebook user, Promise Mgbeosoro, posted a video saying that adding lemon and sugar to a sanitary pad before use will prevent infection.  She said, \u201cTo prevent infection, do this brilliant idea that my mom taught.\u201d As of Sept. 20, 2025, the post had over one million views, more than 2,000 comments, and 431 shares.  Comments under the post showed that most users doubted the claim, questioning its effectiveness and safety.  Herckiss Hersey wrote, \u201cWhere\u2019s the Kool-Aid? I usually add just a little bit.\u201d  Nkosingiphile R. Mkhatshwa warned, \u201cAnd someone\u2019s child will try this and get sick ayy.\u201d  Another user, Tessy Zak, said, \u201cYou people are just being wicked all in the name of getting money online.\u201d  Glory Godwin commented, \u201cI wonder wetin some of una dey teach us for world infection, and you added sugar.\u201d DUBAWA decided to fact-check this claim due to its virality and the potential health risk it poses. What does science say? A scientific study on vaginal products found that lemon juice is highly acidic and can actually damage vaginal cells and kill Lactobacillus (the \u201cgood\u201d bacteria that protect the vagina from infections). Instead of helping, Lemon juice may weaken the body\u2019s natural defences.  HealthShots, a women\u2019s health platform, reports that lemon\u2019s citric acid can lead to burning, rashes, and skin irritation, rather than instead of preventing infection. Research on the interplay between sugar and yeast infections shows that high sugar levels encourage the growth of yeast, which is why women with uncontrolled diabetes, where blood sugar is elevated, often experience repeated yeast infections.  Medical News Today explains that problems such as irritation, rash, or infection typically occur due to excessive moisture, heat, or prolonged use of a pad.  Experts speak The Medical Director of County Hospital, Azzun Amos, described the practice as unsafe, warning that it could instead expose women to infections.  \u201cI\u2019m not aware that the addition of any fruit to panty liners gives any benefit. If anything, it can even be a source of infection. The best way to prevent vaginal infection is to maintain good hygiene, wear cotton underwear that allows air into the area, and avoid washing the vagina with soap,\u201d he said. Similarly, Christopher Aimakhu, the Second Vice President of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), stressed that there is no scientific basis for the claim.  \u201cI\u2019m not aware that this works. I have never read any proven scientific evidence of this,\u201d he said. Conclusion The claim that lemon and sugar on sanitary pads can prevent vaginal infection is misleading. Research and medical experts emphasise that such practices can cause irritation and increase the risk of infections rather than prevent them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1571,4,121,3815],"tags":[],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[4087],"class_list":["post-24750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fact-check","category-featured","category-health","category-homepage"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-6rc","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":4087,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"juliet-buna","display_name":"Juliet Buna","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-27-at-10.59.43-AM.png?fit=608%2C354&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24750"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24752,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24750\/revisions\/24752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24750"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=24750"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=24750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}