Are Jade (Yoni) Eggs Safe to Use?

A jade egg is an egg-shaped gemstone that some say can be inserted into the vagina to improve sexual health, strengthen the pelvic floor, and increase sexual satisfaction. Also known as yoni eggs, jade eggs were popularized in recent years by the lifestyle brand Goop, which claimed the eggs could aid sexual wellness.

Research supporting this doesn't match up to the hype. There is no evidence that jade eggs do anything helpful when placed in the vagina. There is actually some suggestion that they could actually cause infection, get stuck, and possibly damage the pelvic floor. In fact, in 2017, Goop was ordered to remove unfounded health claims about jade eggs from their website.

This article discusses jade eggs, their purported benefits, and the risks of inserting a yoni egg into your vagina.

Risks of Putting a Jade Egg in Your Vagina

Jade is a hard but porous material that has been used for a variety of purposes throughout history.

There are two different stones that are both referred to as jade—jadeite and nephrite. The first is generally considered to be a more valuable stone, although they are difficult for the untrained eye to tell apart.

Both are primarily made of silicates, SiO₂, with varying contributions of other minerals. The variability in these other minerals and contaminants is why jade is available in so many colors and appearances.

Either type of jade can pose risks if made into a yoni egg for vaginal insertion.

Infection

The first potential risk associated with using a jade egg in your vagina has to do with its porosity. Jade is filled with microscopic (and less microscopic) holes and cracks. Bacteria can get into the stone and, when placed in your vagina, can potentially cause infection. If you have a vaginal infection and use a jade egg, you can potentially repeatedly re-expose yourself to something like bacterial vaginosis.

Jade is difficult to sterilize, and washing it is not a guarantee. If you feel you must use a jade egg, putting it in a condom before inserting it would substantially reduce the risk of infection. However, other risks may still be present, and the infection risk is likely higher the longer you leave the egg in.

Getting Stuck

A jade egg can also get stuck in your vagina. Although some jade eggs have a hole a string can be passed through to aid in retrieval, without that, there is a risk of the slippery egg getting trapped.

Having a retained object in your vagina may require a trip to the emergency room to get it removed.

Injury

There's also the risk of scratching or otherwise injuring the walls of your vagina when trying to get it out.

Having an egg (or another sex toy) stuck in your vagina for an extended time can increase the risk of other health problems, such as damage to the tissue between the vagina and bladder or rectum, which in very rare cases may require surgical repair.

Is Jade Egg Use As Effective As Kegel Exercises?

One of the claims about jade eggs is that they can be used for "Kegel-like practices." Kegel exercises are exercises used to strengthen the pelvic floor. When performed safely, and properly, they have a number of potential benefits for both men and women.

Putting a jade egg in your vagina is no substitute for performing Kegel exercises. These exercises involve learning to activate specific pelvic floor muscles. Those muscles are then clenched and released to build strength and control.

Kegels can reduce urinary incontinence and rectal or fecal incontinence They can also help with certain types of female sexual dysfunction.

Pelvic floor training is often preemptively recommended for men undergoing radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer as well as for pregnant women, as both prostate surgery and pregnancy can affect the health of the pelvic floor.

You do not need to insert a device into your vagina for Kegel exercises to have benefits, and even FDA-approved devices don't necessarily improve the long term effects of doing Kegels. However, for some people, an inserted device can make it easier to perform Kegel exercises correctly.

Research shows that many people who think they know how to exercise their pelvic floor may actually not be doing so properly.

Fortunately, many healthcare providers are trained to help evaluate the pelvic floor to understand what weaknesses there are and how they can be addressed. It is possible for a gynecologist, physical therapist, or other trained provider to teach individuals to do Kegel exercises correctly. It may take just a single session.

You don't need to buy a jade egg or anything else. That said, if you are considering buying a device to help strengthen your pelvic floor, ask your healthcare provider for advice on how to choose the best option for you. It's also a good idea to check that any device you pick has been FDA approved.

Safe Choices for Vaginal Insertion

Many people enjoy the experience of having something in their vagina. The trick is to do this safely. That means only inserting objects that are:

1. Not likely to harbor any bacteria
2. Easy to remove

The best objects for insertion play are those with non-porous, easily cleanable surfaces like silicone, certain types of plastic, and stainless steel. The fact that they are non-porous means that they can be thoroughly cleaned and possibly even sterilized, depending on the material.

If you are using toys or other insertables that are not easily cleaned, or even just want to be extra cautious, you can always cover the object with a condom before putting it in your vagina. This is particularly important for any sex toys you share with a partner. (You shouldn't use expired condoms for vaginal, oral, or anal partner insertion, but they work pretty well for this purpose.)

The second trick with insertion play is that you should only insert objects into your vagina if you will be able to retrieve them. Unlike anal play, an object can't get "lost" in the vagina. It's a closed cavity.

Still, leaving an object in the vagina for an extended period of time is not usually a good idea. That isn't an issue for toys or objects that are designed to be inserted only partially into the vagina. However, for any object that will be inserted fully into the vagina, you should have a plan to get back out.

Tampons have strings to make them easier to remove. Menstrual cups are squishy and easy to grab. Many Kegel exercisers either have a string (or string-like object) attached or a hole where one can be inserted.

Object retrieval isn't necessarily an issue for individuals with good pelvic floor control, who may be able to push a retained object out of their vagina. That may just not be a reasonable option for individuals using the object to build pelvic floor strength in the first place.

A Word From Verywell

If you are dealing with sexual dysfunction or incontinence, there are good options that can help. But using a jade egg is not one of them.

Talk with your healthcare provider, who may offer advice and refer you to a pelvic floor physical therapist who can tailor a treatment program to your needs. The best option will depend on why you're having difficulties, and sometimes a little in-office Kegel teaching will be all you need.

If you're committed to using a jade egg, where you're not certain of its safety and/or cleanliness, put a condom on it. Then remove the egg promptly after use.