Why we need to know our vulva from our vagina

This Sexual Health Week we want to amplify the voices of those who face barriers as well as those who are working tirelessly to break barriers. Lydia Brain, Comms and Media Manager at the Eve Appeal, tells us about the importance of health literacy and the fantastic work they are doing to break barriers and smash stigma through education. 

At the Eve Appeal, our mission is to make gynaecological cancers diseases of the past. We are working towards that by improving the early diagnosis and prevention of as many cases of the five gynae cancers as possible, they are: womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal.  

Getting cancer diagnosed at the earliest stage possible needs people to know their bodies well, so that they can tell when something changes and go and get checked as soon as possible. When it comes to gynae cancer, this education about our bodies starts at a young age, from those earliest conversations about the body and its functions.

Children are curious and open to learning; from the age of two a common question from a child is ‘what’s this’ pointing towards their genitals.

The way we communicate this information to young people is critical, as shame and embarrassment over our bodies and gynae health is learnt. We need to speak openly and without embarrassment about anatomy and health so that stigma isn’t passed down the generations and young people can grow up with the confidence and empowerment to look after their health. 

Young people knowing their body and the correct names for body parts is important in helping them look after health as when something goes wrong later in life and they need to be checked by a doctor, it’s important that they can describe their symptoms and where they are accurately. For example, saying you have a lump on your vagina is very different to a lump on your vulva, and getting this wrong may make it difficult for a doctor to know what the problem might be (if you’re reading that thinking ‘what is the difference?’- the vulva is the external genitals on women and people with gynae organs and the vagina is the internal canal). Yet, our survey in May this year found that only half of women could correctly label a diagram of the gynae anatomy, and nearly 20% confused the vulva for the vagina.

We need to do more to make sure the next generation grow up with a better understanding of their bodies.

This lack of awareness about the gynae anatomy also led to shockingly low knowledge of the five gynae cancers, with only 2% of people being aware of all five, and nearly a third of people not knowing any! 

We need to use the correct anatomical language when talking to young people about gynae anatomy so that they know there is nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about, the vulva is just another part of the body, like an elbow or knee, and we should be able to talk openly about it. Feeling like that part of the body is something not to be spoken about or something embarrassing will put people off going to the doctor later in life and lead to cancers getting found at a later stage, when there are less treatment options available. 

To help educate young people about the gynae anatomy and empower them to be able to look after their health, we developed a set of resources, called Know Your Body. They were developed in collaboration with teachers, young people (including Brook’s young forum members), grassroots organisations and education experts.

Our goals and our approach remain the same: to help prevent and diagnose early the five gynae cancers, with young people at the heart of the programme, guiding us at all stages.

Our resources were made to help the young people that have the greatest barriers to healthcare access, and to reach them early. Our lessons cover anatomy, menstrual health, FGM (made in partnership with the National FGM Centre), and HPV and cancer, and they were made for 5-13 year olds. Our lessons are free to use and available to download, they can be accessed by anyone, whether a young person, teacher, parent or carer.  

Find the lessons at knowyourbodylessons.org 

Find out more about Brook’s Sexual Health Week 2022: Breaking Barriers.