{"id":476,"date":"2019-12-16T20:00:34","date_gmt":"2019-12-16T20:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breaking-the-silence.online\/index.php\/2019\/12\/16\/the-vagina-museum-set-to-open-up-social-and-emotional-taboos\/"},"modified":"2024-09-14T06:25:05","modified_gmt":"2024-09-14T06:25:05","slug":"the-vagina-museum-set-to-open-up-social-and-emotional-taboos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/2019\/12\/16\/the-vagina-museum-set-to-open-up-social-and-emotional-taboos\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vagina Museum set to open up social and emotional taboos\u2019."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

“Go campaign green premises to big corporations with heavy footprints, and leave my vagina<\/strong> alone,” says the 32-year-old communications professional.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

“We <\/span>still have the culture where you stay a virgin until marriage, so women<\/strong> who haven’t had sex<\/strong> don’t want to put anything in their vagina<\/strong>,” said Jakarta<\/a>-based gynaecologist Christo Ekapatria.<\/p>\n

CHENNAI: The evening started with chants of the word<\/strong> \u2018vagina<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>\n

Men and women<\/strong> \u2014 even those who admitted to not being comfortable saying the word<\/strong> out loud \u2014 lending voices to what has long since been filed under the category of taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For when The Vagina Monologues is in town, you don\u2019t hesitate or hold back, there\u2019s no place for squeamishness or euphemism.<\/p>\n

You learn to accept the vagina<\/strong> \u2014 the word<\/strong>, its world and the stories<\/strong> it has to tell \u2014 in all its musk-scented glory.<\/p>\n

And the stories<\/strong> were aplenty \u2014 a young victim of abuse finding her sexual awakening and acceptance in the hands of an older woman<\/strong>, the brutal assault of a Bosnian woman<\/strong> by Serbian soldiers, an old woman<\/strong>\u2019s recollection of never-spoken of wet dreams and flooding-prone vagina<\/strong>, a young one finding delight in hers after watching her lover devour the piece of heaven between her thighs.<\/p>\n

Working off of the narrative created by American playwright and performer Eve Ensler<\/a>, these stories<\/strong> were interspersed with hilarious yet hard-hitting commentary on the everyday travails of vaginas like yours and mine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When they talk<\/strong> about women<\/strong> not having seen their vagina<\/strong> in years<\/strong>, you know how true that can be.<\/p>\n

Your vagina<\/strong> has clamped up too in preparation for those dreaded visits to the gynecologist.<\/p>\n

And pleasure \u2014 the elusive world of pleasure and a vagina<\/strong>-bearer\u2019s much-judged tryst with it makes you want to stand up and scream “me too!”.<\/p>\n

One prominent response to “what would your vagina<\/strong> say if it could talk<\/strong>?” was a woman<\/strong> pausing mid-moan to exclaim “don\u2019t stop!”.<\/p>\n

Contrary to its name, a vagina<\/strong> quotient isn\u2019t actually something you measure.<\/p>\n

The term, which was thought-up by the founders of Bean Flicks \u2013 an ethical feminist porn festival that will be hosted in Birmingham next weekend \u2013 actually relates to the level of knowledge you have about the vagina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

From periods and menopause, female pleasure and desire, the vagina<\/strong> quotient is all about learning more about women<\/strong>\u2019s sexuality<\/strong>, and by doing so, destigmatising these often taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> topics.<\/p>\n

\u2018The VQ is a play<\/strong> on IQ\/EQ, so it\u2019s vagina<\/strong> quotient \u2013 basically, it\u2019s a way<\/strong> to up your vagina<\/strong> knowledge,\u2019 Dr Abbott tells us.<\/p>\n

\u2018We\u2019re taught in society<\/strong> that we shouldn\u2019t talk<\/strong> about periods, for instance \u2013 they are taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> and dirty.<\/p>\n

\u2018But also menopause in older women<\/strong> \u2013 again they get over one taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> and then go straight into another.<\/p>\n

Dr Abbott says: \u2018If we are going to overcome stigma, taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>, silence, we need<\/strong> everyone to be part<\/strong> of the solution, and the discussion.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s the importance of knowing your V, or better known as the Vagina or Vulva.<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t help that Vulvas and Vaginas are considered quite the taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> topic in Malaysia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Many of us tend to refer to the outer and\/or overall female genitalia as the “Vagina”.<\/p>\n

When in actual fact, the Vagina only refers to the muscular, elastic canal which extends from the cervix to your vulva<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Your weight, blood pressure, urine and\/or blood samples as well After taking your family history, menstruation cycle, and so forth, your gynae may run a physical examination to check your pelvis, abdomen, and possibly the external genitalia as well Followed by a bimanual examination to check your inner genitalia, a.k.a the vagina<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vaginal discharge is NORMAL and helps keep your vagina<\/strong> clean<\/p>\n

Most of the time, vaginal discharge is normal, so don\u2019t panic! It\u2019s basically your reproductive system\u2019s way<\/strong> of doing the housekeeping.<\/p>\n

The fluid from the cervix and vagina<\/strong> helps carry bacteria and dead cells away, preventing possible infections.<\/p>\n

After all, Vaginas and Vulvas are more prone to infections compared to male reproductive organs, a.k.a the penis.<\/p>\n

VAGINAS .
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

Under the umbrella of body<\/strong> dysmorphia, mostly caused by social media and peer pressure, we often hear the term \u2018designer vaginas\u2019 which refers to having everything tucked in.<\/p>\n

Dr Lakhani added: “The vagina<\/strong> itself is the birth canal so when people talk<\/strong> about designers vaginas, they are talking about the vulva<\/strong>, not the vagina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s an incredibly misogynistic term because most women<\/strong> aren\u2019t looking for a designer vagina<\/strong>, they\u2019re looking for functional improvement in their intimate health.<\/p>\n

It showed that 45% of women<\/strong> could not label the vagina<\/strong> and around half of both genders failed to label the labia .<\/p>\n

Tools like the BritSPAG pamphlet \u2018What is vagina<\/strong> anyway\u2019 or places like the Vagina Museum and the Great Wall of Vagina in London<\/a> are made available for women<\/strong> to connect with their body<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Over the next three days, audiences in the Forest Roberts Theatre can expect to hear wild moaning, discussions of pubic hair and lots of talk<\/strong> about vaginas.<\/p>\n

“The Vagina Monologues,” sponsored by Voices for Planned Parenthood<\/a> , is back at NMU for another round of vagina<\/strong>-loving celebrations.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The play<\/strong> is centered around several monologues which all relate<\/strong> to the vagina<\/strong>, be it through rape, menstruation, masturbation, mutilation, birth or orgasm, just to name a few.<\/p>\n

But I feel there\u2019s a lot of mystery and taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> about vaginas.<\/p>\n

We can talk<\/strong> about breasts but we can\u2019t talk<\/strong> about vaginas.<\/p>\n

That makes a lot of women<\/strong> uncomfortable about their vaginas.<\/p>\n

“I don\u2019t think keeping so much mystery and cloudy mysticism around the vagina<\/strong> is the ideal way<\/strong> to go about that.”<\/p>\n

“What I think separates \u2018The Vagina Monologues\u2019 from that is that it never stopped being a social statement, and it never stopped being a story.<\/p>\n

Welcome back to V for Vagina with gynaecologist, Dr. Sejal Ajmera.<\/p>\n

This is not a taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> or something that needs to suppressed.<\/p>\n

Guess what? Sex toys shouldn’t be taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> either! While it is very important to make sure you’re not sharing your toys, being safe, and hygienic, don’t let anybody tell you that masturbation is ‘wrong’ or ‘immoral’.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s about to change on Tuesday night thanks to British photographer Laura Dodsworth, whose project Womanhood is the subject of a new Channel 4 documentary, 100 Vaginas, that tells the stories<\/strong> of women<\/strong> and non-binary people through images of their vulvas.<\/p>\n

The fact that her work has been considered revolutionary \u2013 a selection of interviews and photographs from Womanhood have already been published in several media outlets to great praise \u2013 she says, points to a wider problem with the way<\/strong> female sexuality<\/strong> is framed as taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> in society<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“I\u2019m using a physical taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> to open up a conversation about social and emotional taboos<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The five biggest taboos<\/span><\/strong> surrounding female sexuality<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dodsworth’s project comes at a time when the consequences of such taboos<\/span><\/strong> seem more relevant than ever.<\/p>\n

Pradnya Pisal, consultant gynaecologist at London<\/a> Gynaecology, explains that the vulva<\/strong>, often confused with the vagina<\/strong>, is the term prescribed to female external genitalia.<\/p>\n

The vulva<\/strong> includes the lips surrounding the vagina<\/strong> , the clitoris<\/strong>, and the Bartholin’s glands .<\/p>\n

The vagina<\/strong>, on the other hand, is a “tube-like muscular canal leading from the cervix to the external genitalia,” she tells The Independent.<\/p>\n

After publication, a man who went by the name of Paul Bullen tweeted the article, writing “the correct word<\/strong> is vagina<\/strong>” in an attempt to correct the reference to the vulva<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Saying vagina<\/strong> to describe the entire area is just ignorance, but there\u2019s an embarrassment with naming our specific parts.<\/p>\n

As viewers will see in the Channel 4 documentary, which has “vaginas” in the title as opposed to “vulvas” so as to use language the public will recognise, examining the photographs of their vulvas up close elicited a range of deep emotional responses from those involved.<\/p>\n

100 Vaginas will air on Channel 4 on 19 February.<\/p>\n

Following powerful projects normalising penises and breasts, the British artist had decided to destigmatise the “final taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>“.<\/p>\n

As a consequence, a recent BBC report revealed that girls as young as nine years<\/strong> old are so distressed about the appearance of their vaginas they are seeking labiaplasty.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s done to shorten or reshape the lips of the vagina<\/strong>, which naturally come in a variety of colours and shapes and can measure anywhere between 6-12cm for the labia major and 2-11cm for the labia minor .
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

In 2017 professor Sarah Creighton, then Chair of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology said: “Girls will sometimes come out with comments like, \u2018I just hate it, I just want it removed,\u2019 and for a girl to feel that way<\/strong> about any part<\/strong> of her body<\/strong> \u2013 especially a part<\/strong> that\u2019s intimate \u2013 is very upsetting.”The annual “Vagina Monologues” was performed by the Dickinson Community Players last weekend.<\/p>\n

A cast of female characters ranging from all ages and sexual identities was celebrated at the Dickinson Community Players\u2019 rendition of “The Vagina Monologues,” performed this past weekend in the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center Multipurpose Room.<\/p>\n

“The Vagina Monologues” is a 1996 play<\/strong> written by Eve Ensler<\/a> that discusses vaginas and everything about them through a series of monologues based on real-life interviews with women<\/strong> of various ages, sexualities, races and backgrounds.<\/p>\n

The play<\/strong> discusses vagina<\/strong>-related topics like body<\/strong> image, femininity, sexual experiences, rape, female genital mutilation and sexuality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Dickinson Community Players perform “The Vagina Monologues” every year during the month of February, and the proceeds from the show go to RISE, a local women<\/strong>\u2019s shelter.<\/p>\n

The characters of the play<\/strong> include a 72-year-old woman<\/strong> experiencing an orgasm for the first time, a grown woman<\/strong> struggling to find her clitoris<\/strong> during a “vagina<\/strong> workshop” and a transgender woman<\/strong> embracing her femininity.<\/p>\n

Bella Martinez, an actress in the show and a freshman majoring in business administration, said “The Vagina Monologues” brings audiences face-to-face with the uncomfortable topics of women<\/strong>\u2019s health.<\/p>\n

“My favorite aspect of the show is that it brings up a very taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> subject in our culture,” Martinez said.<\/p>\n

“It forces the audience to feel a bit uncomfortable for a few minutes but that works to help break that taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> feeling down.<\/p>\n

I love that \u2018The Vagina Monologues\u2019 is all about women<\/strong> empowering other women<\/strong> and encouraging women<\/strong> to take charge and embrace who they are.”<\/p>\n

“Being a part<\/strong> of \u2018The Vagina Monologues\u2019 was an amazing experience that gave me new confidence in ways I did not know I needed,” Martinez said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“It felt really powerful to be part<\/strong> of such an amazing show and have the ability to give back to other women<\/strong> in need<\/strong> and help them get to where they need<\/strong> to be.”The orgasm: elusive, taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>, the forbidden fruit of the purveyor\u2019s experience \u2014 but what exactly defines it, and how should we define our understanding of it?<\/p>\n

For women<\/strong>, it is not spoken of, thought of as taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> and occasionally dismissed as fiction.<\/p>\n

“Vaginas are very much stigmatized in our media and stigmatized as we grow up.”<\/p>\n

For most of history, the dominant literature about female anatomy and women<\/strong>\u2019s health was written by male scientists and medical professionals, further feeding the myth that the majority of female orgasms are vaginal orgasms \u2014 despite the fact that only eight percent of women<\/strong> can orgasm from vaginal penetration alone.<\/p>\n

Far from the nondescript bulb it appears to be, the clitoris<\/strong> branches out several inches around the vagina<\/strong> in an extensive array of nerve endings.<\/p>\n

For women<\/strong>, is not spoken of, thought of as taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> and occasionally dismissed as fiction.<\/p>\n

In his “Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality,” Sigmund Freud<\/a> wrote that during puberty, the location of female sexual arousal shifts from the clitoris<\/strong> to the vagina<\/strong>, a statement that is patently, scientifically false.<\/p>\n

According to Freud, “proper sex<\/strong>” was only experienced through vaginal intercourse, and any woman<\/strong> who preferred clitoral over vaginal stimulation or indulged in any other means of achieving sexual pleasure \u2014 including masturbation \u2014 ought to be diagnosed as psychotic.<\/p>\n

This year, “Our Monologues” moved away from its previous title, “Vagina Monologues,” to promote inclusivity, and bring to the stage the voices of transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming individuals as they explore their relationships to gender and sexuality<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

It explains that the evolved separation of the clitoris<\/strong> from the vagina<\/strong> is a sign that female orgasms were not reproductively necessary \u2014 and therefore not prioritized by society<\/strong>, despite its significance.<\/p>\n

Sexual liberation activists advocate a regaining of power over one\u2019s own body<\/strong> through an act even more historically taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> than the end goal itself \u2014 masturbation.<\/p>\n

Simply put, orgasms stem from an understanding of our own bodies and a broadening of the conversation around sex<\/strong>, breaking down the barriers that make the topic taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Vulvas and vaginas have long been considered a taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> subject matter – a topic to be whispered about quietly, usually while blushing.<\/p>\n

But, according to Lynn Enright, author of Vagina: A re-education, this taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> is damaging to women<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Lynn tells us why it is important to overcome the stigma around vaginas, and explains what’s normal down there…<\/p>\n

Why have vaginas been such an out of bounds topic for so long? Male genitalia is well documented \u2013 in TV, books, and in general culture.<\/p>\n

What does a normal vagina<\/strong> look like?
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

The vagina<\/strong> actually isn\u2019t the correct general term for our intimate area at all.<\/p>\n

Our vagina<\/strong> is inside our bodies.<\/p>\n

Lynn explains that the vagina<\/strong> is actually, “the muscular tube that leads from the vulva<\/strong> to the uterus.” Most people use the word<\/strong> vagina<\/strong> to describe the visible parts of female genitalia, but this area is actually called the vulva<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

She speculates that its lack of popular usage could relate<\/strong> to society<\/strong>\u2019s struggle to address female sexuality<\/strong>, saying, “Female sexuality<\/strong> is just still such a taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t like to talk<\/strong> about except for in relation to male sexuality<\/strong>\u2026 The vagina<\/strong> is something that a penis goes into, and a baby comes out of, so we\u2019ve become more comfortable with that word<\/strong>“.<\/p>\n

The vulva<\/strong> is all the external genitalia: the pubic mount, the inner and outer labia, the clitoris<\/strong>, the uretheral opening and the vaginal opening, and so on”.<\/p>\n

With all the secrecy surrounding vulvas, it\u2019s no surprise that women<\/strong> are wondering “is my vagina<\/strong> normal?”, “should my labia look like that?”.<\/p>\n

Lynn revealed, “When you\u2019re looking at your vulva<\/strong>, you\u2019re looking at your clitoris<\/strong>, your inner labia, your outer labia, the vaginal opening, and the uretheral opening.<\/p>\n

Labia are the folds at either side of a vagina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Once again, it all circles back to the taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> surrounding our vulvas.<\/p>\n

“Some girls and women<\/strong> will also notice how their labia change over time \u2013 the inner labia\u2026might appear different after vaginal childbirth.”<\/p>\n

The hymen looks more like a fringe of tissue near the vaginal opening.<\/p>\n

While a smell from your vagina<\/strong> is perfectly normal, there are some instances where you should seek the advice of a medical professional.<\/p>\n

As with all aspects surrounding our vaginas and vulvas, the main way<\/strong> to tackle the stigma is to talk<\/strong> about them.<\/p>\n

Lynn Enright is a journalist and the author of the book, Vagina: A re-education, which is out now.<\/p>\n

The world’s first museum<\/strong> dedicated to the vagina<\/strong> is set to open in London<\/a>‘s Camden Market this November, but it needs public funding.<\/p>\n

The Vagina Museum has launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to raise \u00a3300,000 to cover the costs of opening.<\/p>\n

The purpose of the museum<\/strong> is to de-stigmatise vaginas, vulvas and gynaecological health.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

According to the campaign, research has found 65 per cent of 16-25 year olds ‘say they have a problem using the words vagina<\/strong> or vulva<\/strong>‘, and ‘more than 1 in 10 of 16-35 year olds said they found it very hard to talk<\/strong> to their GPs about gynaecological health concerns’.<\/p>\n

‘Our top priority is to fight the taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> that surrounds our bodies and provide a place where we can have an open and honest conversation,’ says founder and director Florence Schechter.<\/p>\n

‘Museums act as the custodians of history for society<\/strong> and give the public access to their history,’ she added. ‘Vaginas and vulvas have often been relegated to the backs of cupboards by curators because they are commonly deemed too controversial or difficult for the public. ‘<\/p>\n

The museum<\/strong> also hopes that by tackling the taboos<\/span><\/strong> and talking about vaginal health, more women<\/strong> will attend their cervical screenings.<\/p>\n

Donate to the Vagina Museum here<\/p>\n

Disco parties, comedy nights, school tours and art exhibitions may be unusual ways to help break the stigma associated with female genitals, but that is exactly what the world\u2019s first vagina<\/strong> museum<\/strong> in London<\/a> plans to do.<\/p>\n

“Just anything and everything that\u2019s taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> with that part<\/strong> of the body<\/strong> is what we\u2019re going to be addressing.<\/p>\n

Menstruation is still taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> in many countries.<\/p>\n

She added that the museum<\/strong> will be inclusive of all genders because “not everyone who has a vagina<\/strong> is a woman<\/strong>, and not every woman<\/strong> has a vagina<\/strong>“.
\n\"\"<\/p>\n

The Vagina Museum, due to open in November in central London<\/a> until a permanent location is decided, also aims to run outreach programs that provide sex<\/strong> education for local communities.<\/p>\n

The word<\/strong> “vagina<\/strong>” is either medicalized or sexualized in today\u2019s world, and it\u2019s certainly not a popular term in Silicon Valley.<\/p>\n

These testosterone-filled VCs, who happen to handle hundreds of millions of dollars in committed capital, are known for their dislike of the word<\/strong> “vagina<\/strong>“, making it harder for female-first startups to raise money.<\/p>\n

In an article I wrote for VentureBeat, I cite three examples in which femtech brands have had their ads banned and removed for using words that relate<\/strong> to the vagina<\/strong> — while ads using terms like “sperm” and “condoms” were left untouched.<\/p>\n

New York City<\/a>-based Lindsay Wynn has decided to bet on the vagina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The young entrepreneur recently launched Momotaro Apotheca, a 100% organic vaginal wellness brand.<\/p>\n

“My vagina<\/strong> was literally in pain.<\/p>\n

So I turned myself into a DIY vaginal wellness project and started creating new, 100% natural products.”<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re not trying to refresh your vagina<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“A lot of the ingredients in products on the market today are made with cheap, toxic ingredients that are not intended for the vulva<\/strong> or vagina<\/strong>,” said Alvarez in a statement.<\/p>\n

These include the Healthy HooHoo gentle wash, Rael\u2019s organic pads and Chakrubs\u2019 Yoni Egg: a small quartz or jade stone that can help improve vaginal health and tone pelvic floor muscles.<\/p>\n

Yet, despite progressive advocacy and research around sexual health, there\u2019s one taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong> that seems relentless: lube.<\/p>\n

Our cultural aversion to it is doing a disservice to people with vaginas.<\/p>\n

Contrary to popular belief, vaginas aren\u2019t perpetual slip\u2019n\u2019slides, they can only produce so much natural lubrication, and wetness and arousal aren\u2019t mutually exclusive.<\/p>\n

It’s totally normal.” Vaginal lubrication is controlled by your autonomic nervous system, meaning that you can be horny but totally dry, and vice-versa.<\/p>\n

Co-founder Tiffany Gaines says they want to help people with vaginas “take control of their wetness”, and make women<\/strong> more comfortable using sexual health products.<\/p>\n

HPV can be transmitted through a number of sex<\/strong> acts, which means that any body<\/strong> part<\/strong> involved in sexual intercourse is at risk \u2014 including the cervix, vagina<\/strong>, vulva<\/strong>, penis and throat.<\/p>\n

The Centers for Disease Control estimates HPV is behind about 90% of anal and cervical cancers, 70% of vaginal and vulvar cancers, 70% of oropharyngeal cancers and 60% of penile cancers.<\/p>\n

In 2013, Michael Douglas<\/a> blamed his tongue cancer on oral sex<\/strong> with women<\/strong> over the decades \u2014 suggesting the latent HPV cells in vaginas had traveled to his mouth.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t about the vulva<\/strong>-shaped soaps and cushions flooding gift shops, or Gwyneth Paltrow<\/a> and her daft vaginal eggs.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Channel 4 aired 100 Vaginas, a joyful, taboo<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>-busting documentary in which Laura Dodsworth interviewed 100 women<\/strong> and photographed their vulvas.<\/p>\n

This spring, the pop-up Vagina Museum \u2013 the first of its kind in the world \u2013 opened in Camden, north London<\/a>, with the hope of breaking the stigma surrounding women<\/strong>\u2019s bodies and sexuality<\/strong>, and has since launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to secure a permanent home.<\/p>\n

Hot on the heels of journalist Lynn Enright\u2019s Vagina: A Re-Education, about the shaming women<\/strong> experience in relation to their genitalia, is the release this week of the anti-FGM campaigner Nimko Ali\u2019s What We\u2019re Told Not to Talk About , which highlights the stories<\/strong> of women<\/strong> across cultures and continents related to sex<\/strong>, sexual violence, childbirth, menopause and more.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s more than 20 years<\/strong> since The Vagina Monologues, the play<\/strong> by Eve Ensler<\/a> that told stories<\/strong> of sex<\/strong>, menstruation, rape and childbirth, and Tracey Emin<\/a>\u2019s period-stained bed.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, women<\/strong> are avoiding cervical smears out of shame; the demand for labiaplasty among teenage girls is rising; and the “vaginal hygiene” business is booming, despite being surplus to requirements .<\/p>\n

The text of this article was generated by the Breaking The Silence<\/a> system that collected 18<\/strong> news articles posted on the web from January 2019 to September 2020 and clustered for the taboo subjects related to the vagina<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Go campaign green premises to big corporations with heavy footprints, and leave my vagina alone,” says the 32-year-old communications professional. “We still have the culture where you stay a virgin until marriage, so women who haven’t had sex don’t want to put anything in their vagina,” said Jakarta-based gynaecologist Christo Ekapatria. CHENNAI: The evening started with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[123,44,125,580,1262],"tags":[404,867,290,292,47,289,288,291,364,586,668,593,868,66,767,665,673,59,207,293,217,866,667,587,92,745,501],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=476"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1403,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/476\/revisions\/1403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amaliafoka.com\/breaking-the-silence\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}