Have I mentioned lately what a cutting edge and totally cool organization The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP) is? I may be perhaps their biggest fan. If you don’t know about them yet as a patient, a reporter, or a health professional, check them out because no doubt they will have something interesting and important to share with you. Just like right now. You see, ARHP just completed a survey about what women think about their vaginas.
Now anyone that reads my blog knows that this happens to be one of my favorite subjects. It is our perceptions and attitudes about our bodies that can literally shape our lives and the lives of our children. And nothing is more complicated and can affect a woman’s life more than her attitude and perception of her sexual and reproductive core: her vagina. As I have written before, how we as women feel about ourselves “down here” affect more than orgasms.
The Vagina Dialogues Survey conducted by ARHP and supported by Organon Pharmaceuticals, was based on interviews with a nationwide cross section of 1,117 women aged 18–44.
You can click here to see the full survey results (PDF).
But I am going to “lift” ARHP’s “Quick Facts” of their survey for you right here. And you can jack onto their site for more information. You know, while you are becoming a member!
Quick Facts:
Two-thirds (65 percent) of women agree that vaginal health and research has not received the proper attention it deserves
Over one-third of women (35 percent) are uncomfortable having any discussions about vaginas; nearly one out of five women (21 percent) is even uncomfortable talking to her health care provider about it
More than half (57 percent) of women don’t think their vagina is the right size
Only half of the women surveyed (51 percent) consider themselves to be extremely/very knowledgeable about their vaginas
Only 14 percent of women believe that women are as comfortable talking about their vaginas as men are about penis-related issues
Women perceive their vaginas very differently than they believe their spouses/significant others perceive their vaginas:
While 76 percent of all women agree that women today are more able to say the word “vagina” close to half 47 percent agree that discussions about the vagina should be held in private.
Isn’t it amazing that only 14 percent of all women believe that women are as comfortable talking about vagina related issues as men are about penis-related issues? Perhaps as this survey so clearly shows, it’s because so many of us women don’t think that we have normal or beautiful vaginas. If we think that our vaginas are not the right size or look funny—if we as woman do not know the diversity of how vaginas look or how we look in comparison to our sisters—of course talking about our vaginas would clearly make us uncomfortable. And if we can’t name our parts, or talk about our genitals is it is no wonder that only half of the women surveyed felt that they were knowledgeable about their own vaginas? If we can’t talk about our bodies, how are we suppose to advocate for ourselves when it come to fertility, birth control, sexual boundaries, and embracing our sexual selves?
We have to start somewhere—and important surveys like this one have the potential to get media writing, and women talking. Want to learn more? Here are some blogs, books and resources to learn more about vaginas. By the way ladies—one thing to keep in mind about vagina,: vaginas are all different and they are all beautiful—just like flowers.
Some Great Vagina Resources:
Books:
Petals by Nick Karras—This is a beautiful book filled with photographs of vulvas. A gift any mother could give her daughter.
Femila by Joani Blank—This book has thirty-two color photos of vulvas, from Down There Press/Good Vibrations.
