The thong underwear has a unique history, as it was created by former New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. The mayor was furious that the city's nude dancers were displaying too much skin, so he had the modern day thong created to provide more coverage in 1939, just in time for the World's Fair. It wasn't until 1974 when designer Rudi Gernreich made the thong mainstream and the style hit the United States in the '90s. That said, the thong has reportedly been around for thousands of years in Ancient Egypt, Africa and was prevalent in Greek, Roman and Japanese cultures. Suffice to say, thongs have become a staple in this day and age, but now doctors are suggesting that they may not be the healthiest underwear to wear. The Huffington Post is now reporting that those who are prone to getting infections are at risk when wearing thongs. "If somebody's healthy, there aren't really any dangers," says Dr. Jill M. Rabin, an Associate Professor of Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, to the Huffington Post. "The issue is if you have a predisposition to getting infections, either urinary or vaginal, it may be harder to get rid of it if you're wearing a thong."
How so? Essentially, most of the "sexy" thongs are made with non-breathable materials that keep moisture trapped. "We should all always be wearing all cotton underwear," explains Dr. Shieva Ghofrany, an OB/GYN with Stamford Hospital, in Conn. This includes the material of the entire panty, not just the fabric at the crotch. "When patients say [to me], 'But the crotch is cotton,' my response is that the layer outside the crotch is not, thus making the cotton less breathable and thus allowing more moisture to be trapped and more possible imbalance leading to infections." And it's not just the material, as the shape of a thong poses a risk since "the patient's vulva is much more 'exposed' to whatever they're wearing." With the rise of skinny jeans and leggings, says Dr. Ghofrany to the Huffington Post, moisture is once again trapped in the lycra and Spandex. What's more, the thin band near the crotch area moves around causing bacteria to shift from one area to another. "If you have a little bacteria -- E. coli is the most common bacteria in the colon -- in the back part of the fabric and you're physically active, that material may move," says Dr. Rabin. "All it has to do is move an inch or two and it's next to the vagina or urethra. That thong may be depositing colonic bacteria into your vagina or urethra."
Sound frightening? There's more troublesome news. Not only are thong-wearers at risk of E. coli, they are also prone to yeast infections and bacterial infections like bacterial vaginosis. Additionally, thongs increase the likelihood of external irritation. "I see more patients with skin tags on their vulva and near their rectum, in the exact distribution of the thongs," reveals Dr. Ghofrany. "I sometimes will be mid-pap and ask a patient, 'So you wear thongs a lot?' And their response is always 'Ya! How can you tell?' And it's because of the skin tags, small 'piles' of soft tissue that occur from the skin being constantly rubbed in the same spot. These happen traditionally at bra lines and neck lines, and now increasingly at thong lines!"
Before you decide to toss out all your thongs or start a public awareness campaign, know that it's not all bad news. The common assumption that thongs can cause hemorrhoids is nothing more than a legend. In fact, Dr. Ghofrany states that thongs can help with hemorrhoids. "If the thong is kind of 'hiked up' in there, it can irritate the rectum and further inflame hemorrhoids," she says. As for regular thong sporters, Dr. Rabin states that "if somebody's healthy, there aren't really any dangers." Dr. Rabin does advise; however, that women be careful during their period. "The pH of the vagina is normally acid pH, and blood raises your pH. So when your pH goes up, that's when bacteria has a better chance of growing," she advises. "If you have had no infections and no symptoms of an infection, I don't see any reason why not."
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