Why it matters to call external female genitalia ‘vulva’ not ‘vagina’ | Lynn Enright

Yes, some people use the term vagina, but getting it right is vital to female sexual agencyWhen you find yourself mansplaining the term “mansplaining” to a worked-up faction of Twitter on a Sunday evening, you can assume you’re not getting the best out of your leisure time. And that’s not even the most foolish thing a man calledPaul Bullen didover the weekend.On Saturday, theGuardian published an extract from an upcoming book, Womanhood: The Bare Reality by the photographer and writer Laura Dodsworth. Alongside photographs of external genitalia was first-person testimony from the subjects pictured. Titled “Me and my vulva: 100 women reveal all”, it was an arresting story. Bullen spotted the article on Sunday, and responded with a tweet that he probably (well, hopefully) now regrets: “The correct word is vagina.”Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - February 12, 2019 Category: Science Authors: Lynn Enright Tags: Biology Sex UK news Gender World news Women Life and style Language Science Source Type: news