Vulvariety is the Spice of Life
Vulvariety (Noun) ~ A make-up word to celebrate the difference and diversity of vulvas
Here for a quickie? Check out The Juice at the end.
If you’re a vulva owner, it’s quite possible that you’ve experienced vulva shame. Perhaps it’s about the size, shape or colour or your labia, or perhaps it’s about ingrown hairs, pimples, or odour. This shame may be self-induced, or perhaps it’s the result of a comment from an intimate partner.
Vulva shame can negatively impact body image, and for some it can even lead to undergoing labiaplasty. In 2019, 164,667 labiaplasty procedures were performed worldwide, an increase of 73.3% since 2015 [1].
I’m all for personal choice, but the decision to take a knife to one of the most sensitive areas of a person’s body is not made in a vessel, and rates are clearly on the rise.
We are influenced heavily by the world we live in and the media we consume. Vulvas are no exception. Lack of vulva diversity in porn and other media may not be exclusively responsible for vulva shame, but it’s certainly a big contributor.
The current Australian guidelines for publications specify that depictions of nudity contain ‘discreet genital detail but there should be no genital emphasis’. In reality, this translates to outer labia=fine but inner labia=too explicit.
Ironically, penises are not considered ‘emphasised’ and can be depicted au naturale, yet vulvas must receive digital labiaplasty to ensure that they are all ‘tucked in’. Despite the majority of vulva owners having ‘outies’ [2] the current regulation perpetuates the ‘innie’ norm, and contributes to the global labia insecurity that we’re observing.
So how do we as a society become unflappable, so to speak, and move toward feeling 100% comfortable with our own and others’ vulvas?
Get some vulvariety in your eyes and ears
I am certainly not qualified to detangle the knot of vulva prejudice that has built up over the course of your life. But I do know that what we see and hear on our devices does influence the way we feel about our ourselves. So with that in mind, I’d like to share with you the websites, Instagram accounts, Netflix series, and podcast episodes that helped me feel more comfortable and happy in my skin, specifically my vulva. I’m also a millennial who doesn’t have TikTok, so I apologise that my reccos are limited to these platforms only!
Websites
This is an incredible resource, not only for the wonderful vulva and breast galleries but also for all the body and pussy positive messaging. The founder, Ellie Sedgwick, is currently travelling around Australia taking photos of vulvas as she goes! If you have a teenager (or friend, or anyone really!), please show them this website. Ellie also has an Instagram page — see below.
Women’s Health Victoria created the Labia Library to help break down stereotypes about what labia “should” look like. Another great resources for adolescents and young people who might be experiencing vulva shame or embarrassment. All vulvas are normal!
A collaboration between Netflix and The Vulva Gallery (see their Insta handle below), this website aims to normalise talking about vulvas, and celebrates their uniqueness with portraits and personal stories.
Artist Jamie McCartney started his vulva sculpture project in 2006, which is currently displayed in the USA and features vulva casts from 400 people. His website also has a ‘Labia Library’ which shows close ups of the casts.
- @comfortableinmyskin_ (see above!)
- @pink_bits has cool illustrations of the “bits we’re told to hide”
- @the.vulva.gallery is “a celebration of vulva diversity”
- @vulvarebel and @vul.va.riety show you some lovely vulva art
- @Meuclitorisminhasregras are a Brazil-based company that provide education and entertainment about the clitoris and vulva pleasure (see their @clitstore_ for some great educational material. It’s all in Spanish, but thankfully Instagram is a visual medium!)
Netflix
- Sex Education is a wonderful series which features a campaign called ‘All vulvas are beautiful’ in season 3
- The Principles of Pleasure documentary discusses female pleasure and the orgasm gap
Podcast episodes
- The Hook Up has a great episode called ‘Is my vulva normal?’ (12/4/22)
- Interviews with @comfortableinmyskin_ founder Ellie Sedgwick can be found on It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield (14/9/20), No Filter with Mia Freedman (11/7/22), Life Uncut (4/8/21) and The Inspired Unemployed (30/11/22).
So What?
These are just some of the few amazing resources that I’ve stumbled across through being vulva curious. If you have other recommendations, I would LOVE to hear them in the comments. Time to curate your feeds, and go see some beautiful, diverse vulvas!
The Juice
For some vulvariety, check out:
- Websites: Comfortable in My Skin, Labia Library, All Vulvas are Beautiful, The Great Wall of Vulva
- Instagram: @comfortableinmyskin_, @pink_bits, @the.vulva.gallery, @vulvarebel, @vul.va.riety, @Meuclitorisminhasregras, @clitstore_
- Netflix: Sex Education and The Principles of Pleasure
- Podcasts: Episodes from The Hook Up (12/4/22), It’s A Lot (14/9/20), No Filter (11/7/22), Life Uncut (4/8/21) and The Inspired Unemployed (30/11/22).
Disclaimer
I acknowledge that some of my recommendations do lack gender, race, age and ability diversity, and that I am keen to discover new resources and social media handles that are more representative. Please add them to the comments if you have others.
References
- International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, ISAPS international survey on aesthetic/cosmetic procedures performed in 2019. 2019.
- Lykkebo, A.W., et al., The size of labia minora and perception of genital appearance: A cross-sectional study. Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease, 2017. 21(3): p. 198–203.
