This, is my
vagina. Not my actual vagina, but artwork I made by painting my lady bits and
squishing it onto an A4 piece of paper. I made the art by bending the paper
over the edge of the bathtub, squatting over the top of it and pressing my
vagina onto the paper. It was a gift for my husband’s 31st birthday
and he loved it. But before you think, ‘Wow, what a brilliant idea, I’m going
to try this at home.’ Stop. Four visits to my GP, two major gynaecological
surgeries and many embarrassing moments is what followed on from my evening
with the water paints.
If you’ve read my book, you’ll know the story intimately.
I really wanted to post an actual photo of my vagina taken by a professional photographer, but Mikey said he would divorce me if I showed the world my vag. So this is the compromise. You can see that I have pubic hair, a clitoris, labia minor and labia majora, but apart from that, it really just looks like a Rorschach Inkblot Test.
So why do I want to show you my vagina? I’m totally alarmed by the amount of women considering (and having) labiaplasty. Yearning for a ‘designer vagina’ seems to be on the rise, and shockingly, girls as young as 9 are asking for it. This, to me, is utter craziness. I’m not completely against plastic surgery of any kind, but if you are altering a part of your body because you think you’re not somehow normal, I urge you to reconsider.
As women, we see each other’s breast on a regular basis, but to see another woman’s vagina is no easy task. You need to be sitting, without underwear, with your legs apart – not your everyday scenario. I originally had my vagina photographed to be included in my book, but it wasn’t going to work unless I had other women’s vaginas to demonstrate just how different they all are. I had trouble finding ‘models’ and I took the decision to include illustrations instead.
One day, I would really love to show you actual photos of real women, with un-photo shopped vulvas.
So ladies, please, if you’re considering surgery, don’t consult a soft porn mag. Talk with someone like me, or your GP, who has seen hundreds of vaginas. We will tell you they come in all shapes and sizes. They are as individual as you are and we need to stop waging war on our own bodies.
I’m all about sharing. If by seeing my vagina will make you feel better, email me and I’ll send you my photo. Genuine requests only (not freaky guys searching the web for a bit of fanny action!).
Until next time, share your stories, love your bits and don’t ever, ever put paints near your lady garden, trust me on this one! SJ x
