{"id":6279,"date":"2018-01-09T19:58:28","date_gmt":"2018-01-09T19:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myhealthspecialist.com\/blog\/?p=6279"},"modified":"2021-04-21T13:37:16","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T12:37:16","slug":"the-vagina-monologues-why-we-need-to-start-that-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myhealthspecialist.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/09\/the-vagina-monologues-why-we-need-to-start-that-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"The vagina monologues \u2013 why we need to start \u201cthat\u201d conversation!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Vagina<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a conversation you have every day \u2013 but how do you feel about your vagina? If you\u2019re already blushing or squirming, you\u2019re not alone. New research, released to coincide with Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month<\/em> in September, found that 65% of women are too embarrassed to say the word \u201cvagina\u201d.<\/p>\n

In general, as a nation, we are embarrassed to talk about intimacy and sexual health. \u00a0And the language we still use to describe a part of the female anatomy certainly doesn\u2019t help us to open-up. But this should now change and we are damaging our health by being so coy.<\/p>\n

While it might seem like a trivial issue, there are actually serious implications of women feeling inhibited talking about intimate health. Many common conditions such as recurrent thrush, cystitis, bacterial vaginosis and sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia require people to talk to their Gynaecologist or their GP about genital health.\u00a0 More seriously, this overall shyness or even embarrassment to discuss the vagina can lead to some women avoiding seeking vital advice and tests such as ultrasound scans and cervical smear tests.<\/p>\n

One of the major problems is the names we use for the vagina. Unfortunately, traditionally much of the language used is derogatory, with negative connotations \u2013 which makes women feel uncomfortable.\u00a0 It began as far back as the ancient Greek Gods, who named the main nerve in the vagina the \u201cpudendal nerve<\/strong>\u201d \u2013 which literally translates to the nerve of shame! Also, just think of the word smear! It has negative connotations too. This has led to people, over the years, developing \u201cpet terms\u201d mainly derived from childhood \u2013 which seems at odds with the language women need to use to communicate and report vital symptoms.<\/p>\n

Also for many women, the effects of childbirth and vaginal delivery can lead to physical trauma to the pelvic floor as well as loss of confidence in their sexuality. Traumatic vaginal birth can result in damage to the fascial and the ligamentous supports of the pelvic organs, weakening the perineal body and potentially triggering the development of vaginal prolapse. Problems such as urogenital prolapse can have a major impact on a woman\u2019s quality of life and can cause psychological symptoms to develop including lack of libido, negative thoughts associated with sex, embarrassment and a fear of incontinence.<\/p>\n

And, it\u2019s true to some extent that women are less inhibited following childbirth, but there are still too many who are reluctant to talk about vaginal problems.\u00a0 In a study from St George\u2019s, 85% of postnatal mothers experienced sexual problems at 3 months, dropping to a still significant 64% at 6 months.\u00a0 However, the striking finding in this study is that only 15% of mothers had discussed this with a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n

This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. myHealthSpecialist makes no representations as t<\/span>o the accuracy or completeness of any of the information in this article, or found by following any\u00a0link from this article<\/span>. Please consult a doctor or other healthcare professional for medical advice.<\/span><\/span><\/h6>\n
\n
\"Mr\u00a0Nicholas<\/h5>\n

Mr\u00a0Nicholas Morris, Obstetrician & Gynaecologist<\/a><\/h4>\n

Book an appointment with Mr Nicholas Morris<\/a><\/p>\n

For further information on the topic please contact Caroline Beswick or Laura Tompkins at Trinity PR on
\n020 7112 4905 \/ 0770 948 7960.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not a conversation you have every day \u2013 but how do you feel about your vagina? If you\u2019re already blushing or squirming, you\u2019re not alone. New research, released to coincide with Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month in September, found that 65% of women are too embarrassed to say the word \u201cvagina\u201d. In general, as a… Continue Reading The vagina monologues \u2013 why we need to start \u201cthat\u201d conversation!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Vagina Monologues \u2013 Why We Need to Start \u201cThat\u201d Conversation!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"New research, released to coincide with gynaecological cancer awareness month in september, found that 65% of women are too embarrassed to say the word \u201cvagina\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.myhealthspecialist.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/09\/the-vagina-monologues-why-we-need-to-start-that-conversation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Vagina Monologues \u2013 Why We Need to Start \u201cThat\u201d Conversation!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"New research, released to coincide with gynaecological cancer awareness month in september, found that 65% of women are too embarrassed to say the word \u201cvagina\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.myhealthspecialist.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/09\/the-vagina-monologues-why-we-need-to-start-that-conversation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"myHealth bytes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-01-09T19:58:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-04-21T12:37:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.myhealthspecialist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/THE_VAGINA_MONOLOGUES-.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mr Nicholas Morris - 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