BACKGROUND: There is local evidence of use of vaginal tobacco in several African countries. Although prevalence is unknown, as it is not being assessed through standard tobacco surveillance, there are reports of use in Nigeria, Gambia, Chad, Senegal and Zambia, for example. The health impact of vaginal tobacco has not been systematically researched, but case studies and anedoctal reports point to a high risk of damage to the vaginal mucosa, increasing risks of cervical cancer. The goals of this study was to assess how are vaginal tobacco products portrayed, marketed, and discussed on social media?
METHODS: We conducted a qualitative content analysis, using a grounded theory approach. We searched public posts on Facebook and Instagram (dated from 2021-2024) using key words, starting with "vaginal tobacco" and using a snowballing sampling to identify additional key words. We identified over 6000 posts on both platforms from approximately 100 public pages. We did content analysis of 206 posts that most directly discussed vaginal tobacco use, including marketing themes and user testimonials.
RESULTS: We identified 3 major themes in the postings about vaginal tobacco: 1) Improving sex quality; 2) Therapeutic effects; 3) Improving relationships. We created an 4th, "Other" category for topics that were less frequently discussed. Vaginal tightening associated with increased pleasured, a "libido booster", a cure for vaginal discharge and other gynecological ailments, and increasing partner's pleasures were some of the claims we identified. We identified one posting only where a self-identified health professional cautioned users on potential side effects of these products.
CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need to understand the impact and extent of vaginal tobacco use in several African countries. Marketing restriction policies have not included, to date, marketing of tobacco products and unsubstantiated claims being made. Partnering with groups working to eliminate cervical cancer could provide additional resources to address this growing harm.