How I learned to love my vagina

'Mine looks like a Big Mac. Is that even normal?'

Words – Stina Sanders

Huddled around a small table in a local café, my friends and I carefully drew on a napkin what our vaginas look like. Once the final touches had been made, the four of us dissected each of our Picasso-vulvas like gynaecologists.

'Why doesn’t anyone else have this hanging bit?'

'Yours is so neat!'

'Mine looks like a Big Mac. Is that even normal?'

From there on in, we were asking each other questions like we had just discovered the inside of Pandora’s Box. Literally.

The next day, I brought up the subject with my boyfriend over breakfast, 'Does my vagina look OK?'. He nearly chocked on his coco pops.

I appreciate it was a strange question to ask but I’d never really considered the shape of my bits before. Of course, I know my vagina is not like the designer fannies we regularly see on porn.

In fact, I’d say mine is more Primark than Chanel. But despite my acceptance of my high-street vag, I still couldn’t help but wonder if my private parts are…nice.

I mean no one has ever complained, well, not that I know of. And deep down I know there is no such thing as normal but it’s almost impossible to ignore this new phenomenon that vaginas should look and smell a certain way.

We live in a world full of scented pants, fem wipes and have this weird society pressure to wax our bush until it represents a seven-year-old girl’s. We’re taught from an early age that our vaginas are not perfect. And on top of all that, we’re also having to put up with the fact that our thongs look like a Müller Light lid after a very long and sweaty day.

Whilst in the midst of my fret, I remembered the drawings of each of my friend’s lady parts. They were all individual – just like our personalities. Each one different and with a characteristic, whether that was shape, size or colour. It was the friendly reminder that I needed; there is no such thing as perfect, only different.

At the end of the day, if you have vaginal discharge and your vagina smells like a vagina, then that’s a good thing. That’s how it should be. Your vag is normal.

So back off fem wipes, I’m not ashamed of my natural aroma, even if it does have a hint of red onion to it.

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