The importance of knowing your vulva and your vagina | Letters

Health
By Liam

As a gynecological cancer surgeon, I’m glad to see some myths about vulvas and vaginas being debunked (Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Vaginas… But Were Too Afraid to Google, November 2). However, it is disappointing that you used images of vulvas when you only use vaginas in the title, thus undermining myth #1 in the article (that the vagina is the name for the entire genital area). It would also have been useful to encourage people to check their vulvas, get used to their normal situation and be aware of changes. Unfortunately, I see many women who develop vulvar cancer late in life because they “didn’t know you could get cancer there.”
Dr Jo Morrison
Taunton, Somerset

It was great that you decided to demystify the vulva, but there was inherent misogyny in the piece. “The clitoris is a mini-penis” is something your author says is “true,” but why is it assumed that the male is the norm and the female is a deviant or different version? Maybe the penis is actually just a (usually) slightly larger version of the clitoris?
B.J. Woodstein
Norwich

Your article states: “Pelvic floor exercises prevent you from urinating on your own.” But for many women, menopause or childbirth leads to incontinence that can’t be solved by hundreds of soul-destroying squeezes a day. Incontinence is yet another female-specific problem that is under-researched and funded by the NHS. I found temporary help with pessaries, which changed my life, but I had to try many different ones, at my own expense, before I found the best one for me. If this were addressed, there would be many more women participating in sports, working in physical roles and simply living enjoyable lives.
Helen Adams
London

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