In 2016, researchers from Dae-Jeon University published a paper on vaginal steaming as a treatment for vaginal atrophy — a condition where the vaginal walls become thin, dry or inflamed. Vaginal atrophy is a condition that can occur at anytime but is most often seen post-menopause or post-hysterectomy. In the study the authors used the term “fumigation therapy” to indicate vaginal steaming.

The purpose of the paper was to compare existing research that explored treating vaginal atrophy with vaginal steaming. It’s important to note that the authors used the term fumigation therapy instead of vaginal steaming. They found a total of five studies that collectively included 640 participants. All of the studies had the participants steam either 20 or 30 minutes for either 7 consecutive days. Each study also included a control group. Out of the 5 studies, 4 of them showed 93-99% of the steam groups’ participants resolved their vaginal atrophy. The authors concluded that vaginal steaming is likely an effective treatment method for vaginal atrophy and that a clinical study of significant size should be done to explore these findings further.