Overcleaning the genital area can disrupt the local microbiome and increase UTI risk. — Whalespan
Overcleaning the genital area can disrupt the local microbiome and increase UTI risk.
⚠ High risk
The headline is broadly defensible, but the qualifications matter. Effect sizes vary by population, the strongest claims rest on shorter trials, and credible voices push back on how it's typically framed.
◐PARTIALLYSUPPORTED
⚠
High-risk intervention — consult a physician before acting.Drug-drug interactions, dose-dependence, and screening contraindications apply.
“Too much cleaning eliminates the microbiome on the skin. Not that we don't want to wash, but when Sonnenburg was a guest on this podcast, he said, actually, kids can develop a very healthy gut microbiome and general microbiome, oftentimes by, sorry parents, not washing their hands before eating. If they've been playing with soil outside or dirt, a little bit of that is actually healthy. Pets actually offer microbiome support. This is so weird, I know it sounds dirty, but we have to imagine how we evolved as a species was not with antibacterial soaps and alcohol swabs everywhere. And obviously, we don't want infections, but overcleaning can disrupt the microbiome, which presumably can lead to UTIs.”