Don’t stay silent!
Our vocabulary is defined by our relationship with the vagina. Why don’t we have an acceptable word for the vagina? Our expert thinks that our vocabulary is defined by our relationship to our genitalia.
What’s the reason for all this? It’s complicated, but let’s find out step by step!
Children, especially little boys discover their genitalia quite early in life, around the age of 2 and 3. They like to fiddle with their penis and often put their hands in their trousers when they no longer need a nappy. They consider the penis a natural part of their body like their fingers or their toes, which is not surprising as all they have to do is look down to see it. Touching their penis immediately triggers a pleasant feeling which they are not likely to forget. Moreover, even their environment encourages them to do so.
Girls’ vagina on the other hand, is hidden. No matter how hard they look, they don’t see, only feel it. They have to touch their own bodies in order to have information about what’s down there. But if their hands wander between their legs, their environment reacts completely differently than they do with boys.
“Ugh. Don’t do that! Away with your hands!” If the ugh wasn’t enough, parents often beat their daughters’ hands when they see what they are doing. Basically, everything that happens down there - peeing, pooping, touching and later even the period - becomes “ugh”, forbidden and shameful.
It is almost natural that teenage boys start masturbating on their own. The whole process starts in kindergarten when it is already associated with pleasure, only without ejaculation.
After reaching biological maturity and the arrival of first wet dream, things get even better. With ejaculation, pleasure arrives and by then, 90-95 percent of boys masturbate regularly. The feeling is not much different after the first sexual encounter, not to mention even the responsibility lies on women. Pleasure comes naturally, men only have to worry about their erection and the size of their penis.
The taboo-factor of public speech around vaginas tend to make girls more and more unaware of their bodies, which might make them more vulnerable to hygenie-related issues, and thus various genital diseases. Even though we've become more open about these things in the 21st century, there is still plenty of room for further improvement.
Women never name their vagina. And - as we have already discussed - we don’t really have an acceptable word for it. Vagina is never used in everyday conversation. Vulva is only used by those familiar with the Far East. At the doctor, we might use clitoris, but considering all the above, it is not strange that women still struggle with finding an appropriate name when speaking about their private parts in public.
Expert advice
When will we be able to speak openly?
In order for women to be open about their vaginas, it is very important to get rid of all childhood complexes. They have to accept their own sex and bodies.
Idelyn Expert