‘Normal’ Vaginas Don’t Exist - and We Love It!

The Designer Vagina

Whilst breast, bum and lip implants are now becoming part of a daily routine for a number of celebrity ‘icons’, the next body modification trend comes in the form of surgically altering the vulval tissues - labiaplasty. Despite specific cases that require the procedure, most labiaplasty has derived from the idea of a ‘designer vagina’; although this has become apparently favourable amongst some women, we believe that the intimate area deserves to be embraced for its uniqueness, not modified.

As genital modification began hitting headlines in late 2018, researchers decided to look into what constitutes a ‘normal’ vagina. Unsurprisingly, the study concluded that there’s so much variety in terms of appearance amongst healthy vulvas, a so-called normal one doesn’t actually exist (Health, 2018). The study analysed 657 completely healthy women between the ages of 15 and 84, and measured the distance between the clitoris and labia. The results from the experiment displayed no recurring theme, therefore unless for aesthetic purposes, nobody needs the designer vagina. If you do have any sensitivity downstairs, YES has an array of vaginal moisturisers, lubricants and cleansing washes that are specifically designed to protect against bacterial and yeast infections, as well as hydrating and moisturising the intimate tissues.

So why are women so concerned about the appearance of their vaginas?

A survey published by The Independent revealed that 35 percent of young women aged 11-21 said their main concern with spending time online was comparing their lives to other people, whilst 33 percent of the women in the study claimed that the way they appear in photos online was a ‘major concern’ to them. The vice-like grip imposed by social media has enormous effects on the rates of depression amongst young people most notably, but is impacting individuals of all ages. The way that sex is portrayed in most mainstream porn is also a factor that can have us questioning the ‘norm’ of our bodies. More and more women are talking openly about the fact that they watch porn, yet a lot of content out there is still very much directed for a male audience. Female performers are often waxed, airbrushed or have had surgery themselves to achieve a ‘perfect’ vagina, yet they are often held on a pedestal as the ‘ideal’ female body. This could well be due to the general taboo around discussing genitals and genital appearance which can lead to misconceptions around ‘normal’ genital appearance – porn being the only reference for many of what their body ‘should’ look like and is perceived to ‘look good’.

However, there are signs of progressive change within society, the porn industry and social media. Steadily we’re becoming more open with our conversation about sex, particularly on social media and not in a negative way! Check out this collection of body positive pages which are GUARANTEED to make you feel fantastic:

1. @pinkprotest
2. @the.vulva.gallery
3. @thevaginablog

We believe that everyone should love their body, where’s the fun in feeling uncomfortable in your own skin? YES promotes empowering all women, with products made by women, for women!

https://www.health.com/sexual-health/vulva-size-study https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/pressure-perfect-online-damaging-young-girls-women-social-media-internet-a7907491.html