Vagina’s and Vulva’s: it’s time to talk

Half the population has a vagina. Yet statistics released by INTIMINA last year showed that only one in 10 women could correctly identify a diagram of a female's reproductive system.

Yes, only one in 10. Why is it so low? 

In short, it’s because society doesn’t like talking about it. Even in schools, where young people are supposed to be getting an education, female health is given virtually no attention. 

The female genitals are not complicated, but society talks about them in hushed tones. And this has led to a myriad of harmful myths and behaviours. 

This is why we need to start having candid conversations about the vagina, vulva and female gynaecological health in general, to put these myths to rest. 

So, let’s start the conversation. 

The so-called education system 

Firstly, I want to talk about where the ‘not talking’ about women's health starts. While the answer is certainly not black and white, a large part of it has to be down to the education system. 

The sad reality is that most young women would be able to draw you a better diagram of a males genitals rather than their own. 

It’s all well and good teaching teenagers how to put a condom on a banana, but last year Tampax released figures that show 58% of young women do not know how to use a tampon. Why aren’t we teaching young women how to do that first? 

Unfortunately, the statistic is all too easy to believe. It actually only became compulsory to teach people about periods last year. That’s right; before the year 2020, it wasn’t even a requirement for schools to teach students about menstrual health. 

Most schools will cover menstruation briefly in biology, and then leave the subject. This means many pupils aren’t taught how to actively deal with having a period. 

And it shows. Last month, the Department of Education released data on the level of uptake of the Red Box scheme, a project launched in January last year to combat period poverty. The project allows all schools and colleges across England to offer their students free period products.

Statistics show that nationally, 76% of secondary schools, and 41% of primary schools have so far participated in the scheme. There is no doubt that these initiatives are an encouraging step forward, with similar schemes being implemented in other parts of the world. 

But, the pessimist in me can’t help thinking: why on earth is the uptake not at 100%? It’s because we still aren’t talking about periods enough. 

Schemes such as this one are a necessity, not an accessory. And while there are still people out there who struggle to use a tampon, and to access period products, there is still work to be done.

Vaginal ‘odour’ 

While certain smells can be our vagina’s way of telling if something is wrong, society doesn’t seem to understand this. For some reason, there are still rumours floating around that the vagina is dirty.

And this can largely be put down to the feminine hygiene industry. Reuters reported in 2018 that the global feminist hygiene market has a net worth of $24,350,200,000. 

To put it simply, these corporations make their money by shrouding the vagina in shame. People are made to believe that they need to purchase these hygiene products to keep their vagina’s clean and avoid odour. When in reality, the vagina is self-cleaning.

While there is nothing wrong with people preferring to use these products, it should never be made out to be a necessity. People with vagina’s do not have to wear daily panty liners to keep them feeling “fresh”. Neither do we have to buy expensive scented sanitary products to mask our periods. 

C is for...clitoris

It’s a long running joke that if women had to have orgasm to get pregnant, there would be two people in the entire world. 

Women do not have to enjoy sex to get pregnant, therefore to society, what does it matter? 

In the 17th century, it was a widely held belief that in order for a woman to get pregnant, she had to orgasm. This meant that female pleasure in sex was actually, at a time where we are led to believe women’s pleasure was neglected, it was actually really important. 

But later on down the line, when it was revealed that this wasn’t the case, it fell to the wayside and was considered pointless. As is the case with today’s society, too. 

I was at the ripe old age of 23 years old when I first saw a diagram of a clitoris and learnt that it did not just consist of the tip at the top of the vulva. The clitoris is huge. Hugely wonderful, hugely empowering, and hugely ignored. 

On a positive note, the feminist movement is making strides in this area. With more and more women learning to talk more openly about their sexuality, the myths around female pleasure are being debunked slowly but surely. 

And in my own social circle, I have noticed that people are learning how truly normal and healthy it is to talk openly about these things. 

With the calling out of slut shaming where people make women feel bad for enjoying sex, we can start to talk about female pleasure a lot more, and without having to conform to society’s expectations that we must remain ‘virtuous’. 

But to do this, we need to talk more about the clit. Female masturbation and pleasure is still considered a taboo subject, and the sooner it’s more of an open subject, the better. 

Steps too far

The shame and misinformation that still surrounds the vagina can be dangerous. Nearly 30% of 25-29 year old women in Britain are too embarrassed to attend cervical screenings each year. 

This could be down to the widely held belief that there is a “right” way for a vulva to look. All vagina’s and vulva’s look different and no two are the same, but we are made to believe that there is such a thing as an “ugly” one. 

Myths that the vagina gets “saggy” or “loose” after having too much sex or having children are also unhelpful. This just reinforces the idea that along with women feeling pressure to look a certain way in other areas, they also have to worry about what their genitals look like. 

Smear tests are life saving. When it gets to the point that people feel shame in having a medical professional look up there, is when it goes a step too far. 

So, in a nutshell, while strides are being made by feminists to debunk the myths and the question marks around what really goes on down there, there is still work to be done. 

As a society, it is EVERYONE’S responsibility to make sure that people with vagina’s do not feel embarrassed, pressured, or low priority. 

And we can do this, simply by talking about them.