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'Vagina Bible' Tackles Health And Politics In A Guide To Female Physiology

Hey, women: Dr. Jen Gunter wants you to understand your own vagina.

The California gynecologist is on a quest to help women get the facts about their own bodies. It isn't always easy. In an era of political attacks on women's reproductive choices and at a time when Internet wellness gurus are hawking dubious pelvic treatments, getting women evidence-based information about their health can be a challenge, she says.

But Gunter isn't backing down.

"I'm really just trying to give women information so they can make informed choices," Gunter tells NPR. "Misinformation is the opposite of feminism. Making an empowered decision requires accurate information."

Gunter…

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Featured

 My Vagina Is Terrific. Your Opinion About It Is Not

All I can say is, if you have a medical concern, see a doctor. And: If someone speaks to you about your body with anything but kindness and concern, it is he who has a problem. And: The vagina is like a self-cleaning oven.

 The Superhero in the Vagina

Can researchers harness the power of protective bacteria to guard against a common infection?

 The Supplement Industry Is Coming for Your Vagina

OB-GYNs are fighting for our vaginal health over on TikTok. In one video, Staci Tanouye, MD, scans a crowded feminine hygiene aisle saying “no” to every single option. Another clip shows Karen Tang, MD reacting to Kourtney Kardashian’s brand Lemme’s vaginal health gummies with “You…don’t need these. Bye!” Ali Rod, MD, (who goes by The Latina Doc) politely asks women—in a video that has been viewed over five million times—to not put yogurt, garlic, yoni pearls, herbs and spices, twigs, and leaves, or apple cider vinegar in their vaginas. “Just leave her alone,” Dr. Rod says.

 The Vaginal Wellness Boom Is Here

Gaps in women’s health knowledge and care have created a business opportunity. What could go wrong? promotes an unrealistic ideal of female genitalia and sexual function.” Dr. Williams calls it a “market grab.”

Articles of Interest

The Female Founders Disrupting the Vagina Economy

"I started thinking: We're living in San Francisco, we have Uber for everything, we're firing sports cars into space, but we don't have good period products?"

‘Vagina Obscura’ Demystifies Female Anatomy

There’s a reason women know so little about our own bodies.

The Next Frontier of Microbiome Transplants May Be the Vagina

There is new research that proposes that the best way to treat a bacterial infection in one woman’s vagina might be to transplant bacteria from another woman’s vagina.

The World's First Vagina Museum Encourages Conversation Around Gynecological Health

And considering some people are dying because they didn’t want to talk about their vagina to their doctor, you could argue that the Vagina Museum could even save lives.

A Lady’s Many Scents

Pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, douching: Is your body’s natural odor a “fixable” problem?

Anatomy 101

When was the last time you looked at your vulva? Like, really looked at it? If you’re like most people, chances are high that your answer is not recently — or not ever.

Chick-Chat: Your Vagina Isn't Actually A Vagina, It’s A Vulva

Girls, this is a big one. You've been swanning around talking about your vajayjay like it's your best friend and you regularly refer to your vagina like it's got its own set of morals and standards. No matter how you treat your pubic region and regardless of whether your ex-boyfriend gave it a creepy name, you've probably been describing your own genitalia wrong for so long. Your "vagina" is not your vagina. It's your vulva.

Don't Put Wasp Nests In Your Vagina

How do people keep coming up with things to put in your vagina? Who are the test subjects trying different things in their vaginas? (Oh, that thing didn't work. OK, that was terrible. That resulted in hospitalization...) The list of products being hawked is growing longer and longer, from yoni oils to tightening sticks to douches.

From healthy births to sustainable management, 5 essential reads on the fascinating and complex vagina

As the most common route for arriving into the world, the human vagina has, of course, existed for as long as there have been people. Despite the name, however, it’s not so much a “sheath” – the Latin meaning of “vagina” – as it is a muscular tube of varying shapes and lengths, contained unseen within the pelvis. The vagina is actually a hardworking organ in its own right, with its own ecosystem.

Healthy vaginas can look nothing like each other

If you have a vagina, chances are your external reproductive genitals—which includes the clitoris and inner and outer labia—don’t look like anyone else’s. And that’s quite alright.

Here Are Things Not to Put in Your Vagina

From yogurt to oregano oil to lemon juice (OUCH!), the internet is chock-full of suggestions and remedies for women’s sexual health.

I Tried A Vaginal Steam Treatment, And Here’s What Happened

Now that I’ve established exactly how I tend to “down there” and shared TMI in less than 30 seconds, let me explain why I decided to get a vaginal steam treatment.

Inside the controversial new surgery to transplant human wombs

Pioneering surgeons have made it possible to transplant a human uterus that can bear children, offering hope to millions of women who never thought they could give birth.

Let’s Clear Up The Vagina vs. Vulva Debate Once And For All

While vagina has emerged as the term of choice for women’s genitalia (excluding, of course, many of the ickier euphemisms, like vajeen and cooter), vulva is actually the correct term for all of the external organs including the mons pubis (pubic mound), the labia majora and minora, the all-important clitoris, the external openings of the urethra (a.k.a, the hole you pee from) and the vagina.

Needless treatments: anti-fungal creams or tablets don’t always work for vaginal itch

Some women may also be experiencing a vulval dermatitis, or even a more serious but rare condition called lichen sclerosus, which can cause itching and require completely different treatment. What’s wrong with self-treatment? If a woman uses the anti-fungal treatment and the condition clears up, usually within a few days, it’s likely that Candida albicans were responsible. But if it doesn’t clear up or keeps coming back, it’s important to have this investigated by a health professional.

Our Vaginas, Ourselves

We live in a time of thong underwear, of designer sorrows and of artificially enhanced gratifications. So step right up, ladies. Your labia may not be up to snuff - they may extrude too much or lack youthful plumpness - but a quick nip/tuck or strategic injection of fat from Dr. 90210 and his colleagues will take care of that.

Self-Exam: Vulva and Vagina

The appearance, shape, and size of genitals vary from person to person as much as the shape and size of other body parts. There is a wide range of what is considered normal. Observing your own body can help you to learn what is normal for you.

The Case for Teaching Kids 'Vagina,' 'Penis,' and 'Vulva'

Sex-abuse prevention educators want children to understand that "private parts" are off limits to others. But they also want kids to be comfortable using what linguists call "standard" dialect for these parts, rather than euphemisms and colloquialisms.

The dangerous rise of vaginal lightening

Because despite what many of us may think about vaginal lightening — that it’s risky, that it’s unnecessary, that it’s the unfortunate byproduct of a culture that, despite the progress we’ve made in terms of gender equality, is only getting more creative at shaming women for their bodies and their sexuality — the fact still remains: “Whether I advertise it or not,” says Taub, “people want to be lighter.”

The Tampon: A History

The cultural, political, and technological roots of a fraught piece of cotton.

Things Every Brazilian Waxer Wishes You Would Stop Doing

Have you ever imagined what it’s like being this close to vaginas all day — no, not like that sadly — you know, for work? The life of a Brazilian waxer is never dull! In fact, sometimes it’s downright disgusting.

Tips For Keeping Your Vulva And Vagina Healthy

Why, you may ask, is it important to know my vulva and vagina? Well, knowing these parts and how to keep them healthy and happy is paramount to your overall health and well-being. There is nothing more annoying or irritating than an infection or something else gone wrong down under.

Why Does My Vagina Smell? A Guide To 5 Common Vaginal Odors

There are a few factors that can lead to changes in vaginal odor: infections or STIs, exercising and sweating, hormone levels during your menstrual cycle, and changes in the pH of your vagina.

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

Yes, some people use the term vagina, but getting it right is vital to female sexual agency.

Why No One Can Design a Better Speculum

The gynecological device may have an ethically fraught history, but it's hard to improve on the design.

Why You Shouldn’t Steam Your Vagina, Douche or Remove Your Pubic Hair

Trendy vaginal treatments are marketed to women, but they are unnecessary. Douching and hair removal can be done without entirely– Both of these unnecessary vagina “treatments” can have adverse side effects, and can lead to more harm than if they were not done in the first place.

Resources

7 Crazy Things That Happen To Your Vagina When You Stop Having Sex

Sex is good for our body in ways we can't even imagine. From better sleep to a stronger immune system to burning calories and boosting our mood, getting some is good in many ways. Of course, that also means that not having sex can create some...interesting changes.

8 Reasons Your Vulva or Vagina Might Get All Swollen

Having a vulva and vagina can be pretty superb. Depending on how your specific parts work, they may offer the potential to have plentiful orgasms, give birth to cute, chunky babies, and do so many other delightful things. But having a vulva and vagina can come with downsides, too, like a swollen vulva intense enough to earn you the nickname Michelin Mons or a swollen vagina that throws you for a loop. Here are eight reasons your vagina or vulva might get all swollen.

9 Things to Know About Your Vagina

Fifty percent of the world has a vagina — and yet, so many people know so little about them.

9 Things Your Vagina Is Trying To Tell You

When it comes to your lady parts, you probably don't know as much as you think you do.

Pussypedia

Pussypedia is a free, bilingual encyclopedia of the pussy* made for you to understand.

The Vagina Whisperer

Online, On demand workouts for your pelvic floor and core.