We’re constantly told our bodies need fixing. We’re too short, too tall; too fat, too thin; and apparently, our vaginas are just no good.
This is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of “body shaming” but it’s still just as important a topic to talk about. Why must we feel about our vajayjays when they’re perfect the way they are?
Below are the top three myths that society is constantly trying to tell us about our vaginas.
Our vaginas smell bad
Advertising, in particular, is constantly telling us that our vaginas smell bad and need to be covered up with fragrance. Ever heard of Summer’s Eve? They target women by convincing them their vaginas are dirty and need special soap in order to become clean. And they’re not the only brand to do so.
But guess what: our vaginas are self-cleaning! They don’t need special washes or fancy soaps in order to be clean. In fact, those washes can often irritate your already delicate vajayjay. And that odor you detect coming from your lady bits? That’s what a vagina smells like! Unless you have a yeast infection, in which case you should probably check that out.
There’s a right and wrong way for our vaginas to look
The best example of this type of vagina shaming is the ham sandwich-Taylor Swift Twitter post that an incentive mom decided to share with the world (the woman’s Twitter account has since been suspended). The mom implied that Taylor Swift’s labia looked like a messy ham sandwich because she presumably has been with many men, while her daughter’s was pristine because she practiced abstinence.
Newsflash: the amount of sex you have has no bearing on the size of your labia. Some women have long labias, some have short, but they are all completely normal! Implying that someone’s pussy looks messy because they’ve had sex is not only rude but factually incorrect.
Our vaginas (probably) tastes bad
How many articles have you seen that tell you what foods to eat in order to make your lady garden taste sweeter? If you’ve ever read a women’s interests website, then you’ve probably seen dozens. Do you know how much time men spend thinking about what their semen tastes like? We’re guessing it’s pretty close to zero. Ladies, your vagina tastes great just the way it is — relax!
