Vaginas.
Not everyone talks about them, but I do. I’m comfortable talking about lady bits and I want to start a discussion. I want to understand my own body so I can wisely pass on undistorted information to my daughter, who is currently fascinated with her “giny”.
I haven’t always been at ease with my own vagina; it took a profound sentence from my husband and years of working in a Brazilian waxing salon to give me the confidence to love my lady bits and to talk openly with others about a topic that’s often taboo.
I have no medical training and I am by no means a vagina expert. But the time I’ve spent with vaginas, and the women attached to them, gives me a window into a world not privy to many.
As a Brazilian waxer, I was asked the same questions day after day, week after week, and it got me thinking - why are they asking me? Why aren’t these women talking with their friends, their GPs, their gynaecologist? Their questions prompted me to dig deeper into this unknown territory and as a result, I give you… The Vagina Buffet.
And yes, I know the correct term for the external female genitalia is actually vulva. It includes the "lips" (labia majora and labia minora), mons pubis, clitoris, and the openings to the urethra and vagina. The word vulva, however, always reminds me of Volvos with all their safety features and precision engineering, which probably isn’t far from the description of our vaginas. And I mean no offence to Volvo drivers when I say this, but vaginas are anything but safe and boring!
So if it’s ok with you, the vulva is going to be referred to as the vagina throughout this site.
Happy reading and happy health, SJ xx
ps. for all my US readers, the word "fanny" refers to a "front bottom" here in Australia.
The Vagina Buffet is available in digital format (for your Kindle, Nook or iPad). Click on the icons below to purchase your copy now. Paperback available here.
