In 2018, a group of researchers from the Public Health Services in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Suriname along with corresponding universities in each location published a study on vaginal steam use in Suriname and the sexual transmitted disease chlamydia. Researchers theorized that there would be a higher incidence of chlamydia infection among vaginal steam users. (Please note the authors had the underlying assumption that vaginal steam is harmful and were trying to prove it.)
Participants were recruited at a sexually transmitted infection clinic and a family planning clinic in Paramaribo, Suriname.
1040 women participated in the study. Each completed a questionnaire about their vaginal steam habits and a swab test for chlamydia infection.
In conclusion, the researchers did not find vaginal steam to be a determinant of chlamydia infection.
Whereas this study was designed to prove that vaginal steaming is harmful, it actually proved the opposite– vaginal steaming is not harmful (at least not when it comes to chlamydia). The study does not share information as to whether or not the vaginal steam users had a lower rate of chlamydia.