Fairy, fanny, foof: why can’t we just say vulva?

Eliza Bell, Brook’s Senior Communications and Policy Coordinator

Could you label all the parts of your vulva? In Superdrug’s survey of 2,000 people aged 18-65, 29% of respondents weren’t taught the word vulva growing up and 78% of women said they use vagina when they mean vulva.

Just like how we teach young people what and where their nose and their ears are, we need to teach them what their vulva and vagina or penis and testicles are. 

Understanding the proper anatomical terms for body parts empowers people to take ownership of their bodies and advocate for their wellbeing. This knowledge helps to normalise conversations about health, consent, and bodily autonomy. It also allows for clearer, more accurate communication with healthcare providers, educators, and peers. 

It’s so important that we can be specific and accurate when describing our bodies, so that if we need to describe any pain or symptoms to a parent/carer or a healthcare professional we can give as much information as possible. For example, saying you have a lump on your penis is very different to saying you have a lump on your testicles. Or saying your vagina is itchy is different to saying your labia is itchy. Health literacy is a vital aspect of keeping people safe, happy and healthy.

After six decades of fighting for improved sexual health and wellbeing for all, at Brook we know that embarrassment and stigma are some of the biggest barriers to people accessing healthcare. It’s so important that we tackle this shame head on so that it doesn’t prevent people asking for help when they spot or feel something unusual. 

We can start by doing something as simple as using the correct anatomical language for our body parts. Parents and carers can do this with their children, teachers can do it at schools and friends can aim to do this with each other. While it can feel awkward to begin with, the more we talk about it, the more you realise it’s just a word like any other.

High-quality relationships and sex education can also play an important role in educating young people around the language they need to understand their bodies.

In Superdrug’s survey, 65% of participants agreed that using the correct biological and correct names for genitals would help to reduce stigma and shame around sexual health and pleasure. 65% of respondents also felt that using the correct biological and correct names for genitals would help people feel more comfortable discussing matters relating to consensual sex.

Clearly, teaching young people the anatomical names for their body parts is not only important in helping people look after their health; it’s also a cornerstone of developing enjoyable, consensual relationships.  

At Brook, we want everyone to grow up with the confidence and knowledge to look after their health. When we equip young people with the correct language to describe their bodies, we are giving them the tools to articulate their experiences, seek help when needed, and challenge societal taboos that often shroud these conversations in shame or embarrassment.

P.S. If you’re reading this and you’re not sure you know your anatomy as well as you’d like, we have labelled diagrams on our website of both vulvas and penises.