Between female friends, almost no topic is off-limits: Sex, relationships, periods — you name it, we talk about it. But when was the last time you talked about your vagina to a girlfriend? Once in a blue moon? Never?
Vaginas: All women have them, but according to research, we don’t know too much about them. According to research done by Beauty Heaven, only half of women interviewed were able to describe what a “normal” vagina looks like, with the same number of women never having seen a vagina other than her own.
Dr. Rebecca Deans, a gynaecologist from Sydney’s Royal Hospital for Women, says it’s a concerning result and shows how little women know about their own bodies. “Women should be aware of all parts of their body, including their vagina,” Dr. Deans told the Daily Mail.
“I have researched the topic in depth and found that because women are so shy about it, their perceptions about what’s normal or healthy are sometimes really inaccurate which is leading to insecurities and potentially an increase in surgery.”
More:Why are we afraid of the word “vagina”?
So what does the average woman think a “normal” vagina looks like? Well, we asked 10 women and here’s what they had to say.
They are all unique
“It’s a hard question to answer because, although I haven’t seen many myself, I imagine they are all unique.”
What is normal?
“I really don’t think there is a normal vagina. Outies and innies, hairies and bare-ies. Then there’s pierced! I think they are probably all pretty close when you pull apart the flaps, I guess… but I’m no expert!”
I have no idea
“I don’t know what ‘normal’ looks like. So I guess I would be part of the 50 per cent. But not sure if there is a ‘normal’ looking vagina, either.”
Porn gives unrealistic expectations
“I think that porn gives people unrealistic expectations of what most ladies’ bits should look like. I would imagine in porn most women don’t have big/flappy outer labia and that the labia would be a nice colour.”
My vagina is awesome
“I’ve only ever had positive feedback so I assume mine is somewhere between normal and awesome! The only vagina I’ve seen that I thought was abnormal was in a porno; the lady’s vaginal pigment was grey.”
Pink and functional
“If it’s pink and it works, it’s normal. If it’s really floppy and the clit hangs down too far and causes pain, or if there is any other kind of pain or malfunction, I would consider that abnormal. However, I’d still consider a prolapsed vagina after pregnancy or age normal, but would require intervention.”
Beautiful
“Vaginas are as uniquely beautiful and as individual as faces.”
Like a dishwashing glove
“Like a pink dishwashing glove that’s been left in the microwave too long.”
Vaginas are diverse
“I don’t know how to interpret such a thing as a ‘normal’ vagina, but I do not like the word ‘normal’ in any way. We are all diverse and so are our vaginas.”
Normality is perception
“What is not widely known is that it is illegal in Australia to publicise images of a woman’s labia minora. This part of the woman’s anatomy is systematically Photoshopped out of images, thus creating the fallacy that large inner lips are abnormal and/or even ugly. The reality is, there is no such thing as normal. Normality is perception, and perception is dependent on our experiences and our beliefs.”
More: Things you should probably know about your vagina
What do you think a “normal” vagina looks like? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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