Let's Talk About Sex(ual Health), Baby: Breaking the Stigma

My daily work with my gynecology patients has made it apparent that it is time to have a frank talk about sexual health—specifically as it relates to our vaginal anatomy and physiology. For too many women, this topic is avoided and/or misunderstood. As a result, women experience a series of adverse consequences, from poorer health outcomes to lackluster sexual satisfaction. Even in this modern age of female empowerment and the ongoing drive for equity between the sexes, I still see many women who are embarrassed or even ashamed to discuss their own bodies. We've been misled by society to think that our sexual organs—and our very natural, normal concerns regarding them—are somehow distasteful or disgusting to discuss. Far too many women believe those lies and suffer as a result.

How Society Twists the Truth of Vaginal Healthcare

From a young age, we are all are bombarded with ads featuring "feminine" hygiene products promising to keep vaginas "fresh," "odor-free," and "clean." While being influenced by this messaging, people move through puberty thinking that their vaginas should have no smell, and if it does, should smell of florals or vanilla.Because of this, many people grow ashamed of the normal discharge and smell that comes with a balanced vagina, leading to overuse of these same harmful "hygiene" products and encouraging a lack of communication with their healthcare provider...

Pseudoscience And The Pussy: Profit, Politics, And Patriarchy

On April 5, 2019, Dr. Jen Gunter, aka Twitter's gynecologist took to the stage at TechFestNW and debunked the pseudoscience that impacts women's bodies.