What is vabbing? TikTok’s latest trend encourages women to use bodily fluids as an aphrodisiac

At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking that vabbing is yet another lame vaping trend popularised by a bunch of edgy TikTokers. Unfortunately, it’s something a little more left field. It’s an, erm, well, unconventional technique women are using to attract a partner (brace yourselves) by rubbing their vaginal secretions over their body.

So, how exactly does that work? Well, The theory goes that pheromones play a crucial role in how many animals communicate with each other. Therefore, they may play a role in attracting sexual or romantic partners in humans. Then this must be a surefire way to attract a  new partner, right?

Well, It turns out multiple women have been sharing their experiences and even singing their praise for the controversial technique. Serial vabber, TikToker @Jewlieah, told her viewers: “I did it right before I went to the gym, and then that guy hit on me while I was working out. Vabbing works!” She explained that she’s been using the method “every day” after men “kept talking to and approaching” her the first time she tried it.

But does vabbing really work, or are these people just having some sort of placebo effect (or, more likely, making it up)? Cosmetic gynaecologist, Dr. Paraskevi Dimitriadi, tells HUNGER: “We all have pheromone receptors that help us attract our sexual partners. However, this practice of vabbing is completely medically unnecessary.”

“We secrete the same pheromones throughout the glands of our body. We have pheromones in our sweat. We also secrete pheromones through urine and we don’t put that on our bodies. There is absolutely no need to use your vaginal discharge on other parts of your body to attract a partner,” she explained.

According to Dimitriadi, not only is the practice kind of useless, but there’s also a risk of infection involved. “The question is how you collect this discharge. If you use dirty fingers inside your vagina to collect discharge you can not only potentially traumatise the tissue in your vagina but also spread infection, potentially causing something as serious as a pelvic inflammatory disease.” 

So, despite all those free drinks you may be getting at the bar, it’s probably best to stay clear of this one. In fact, covering yourself in Pink Sauce would probably be a safer bet.