what is vabbing at the gym?
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If you recently came across a video labeled with the term "vabbing" (a.k.a. vagina dabbing) on your For You page, you're not the only one who may have been perplexed. In short, vabbing refers to applying a few drops of your own vaginal fluid to pulse points, like wrists and neck, as a sort of cologne/perfume to attract potential partners. Now, some people on TikTok think the gym is the best place to test out this trend.
TikTok user @jewlieah has popularized the trend recently with a video in which she claims to have vabbed before a workout at the gym and garnered some desired attention as a result. In a subsequent video, she explains that after she vabbed, a man approached her while she was doing lunges and asked her out. Her original video has amassed more than six million views, and it has been dueted (paired side-by-side with videos made by other creators) dozens of times, mostly by users who express various levels of skepticism about this particular pick-up method.
Even though vabbing is not dangerous if you take precautions for personal hygiene, there is not much evidence to support the claim that tapping vaginal fluid on pulse points actually attracts a mate, experts say. If you want to try out vabbing for yourself, read what medical professionals have to say about the trend below.
What is vabbing?
Vabbing is applying a small amount of vaginal fluid to areas with a pulse, as you would perfume. "Some women swipe their finger across their vagina and then apply the secretion to their wrist or behind their ear," explains certified ob-gyn Cynthia Wesley, M.D. "Women usually produce around half to one teaspoon of vaginal discharge every day. This discharge is typically clear, slightly cloudy, or white."
The idea is that the vaginal fluids might include pheromones that would attract future mates. "A pheromone is a chemical that an animal secretes to change the behavior of another animal," Dr. Wesley explains. "Animals can use these compounds to show ownership of a space, signal danger, or initiate sexual arousal."
Does vabbing work?
In short, it's unclear whether vabbing helps attract a partner or not. "There are no controlled trials to contest the effect of vabbing," says Karenne Fru, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.O.G., a fertility specialist at Oma Fertility. "Anecdotes to the contrary are more likely coincidence." Dr. Fru is skeptical of claims that vabbing leads to being approached by potential mates, especially at the gym. "In theory, vabbing relies on the sense of smell," she explains. "The gym is a place inundated with smells of all kinds, and I'm doubtful that vaginal secretions would be noticed, much less have an effect."
Dr. Wesley agrees that there is a lack of evidence proving the effectiveness of vabbing, but she does mention that there is some research supporting the effect pheromones have on people in general. She references a preliminary study on the steroid compound, androstadienone. "Found in the male axillary [underarm] sweat, androstadienone improves mood and heightens focus in women.
Although vabbing (a.k.a. taking a whiff of a stranger's gym gear) might not be the best way to meet someone new, "maybe the improved mood and focus of the women, caused by the androstadienone in the sweat of the men, has improved the women's confidence, thus making the men more attracted to the women," suggests Dr. Wesley. That said, scientists haven't studied.
So, what do you think? Is vabbing in the gym a worthwhile workout method? Have you tried it yourself? Let us know in the comments below.
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