The Eve Appeal supports Loose Women's Body Stories campaign tackling the taboo of vagina dysmorphia
LOOSE WOMEN BODY STORIES CAMPAIGN TACKLES THE TABOO OF VAGINA DYSMORPHIA
We've championed body positivity of every kind - for men and women - and now Loose Women's Body Stories campaign is talking about the ‘final taboo’ - vagina dysmorphia.
We're discussing vaginal health issues to smash the stigma of what’s ‘normal’ as female genital surgery soars worldwide.
The Loose Women will discuss the stigma that surrounds vaginal health and the pressures behind the growing trend for female labiaplasty, which has become the fastest growing cosmetic procedure worldwide.
Loose Women’s Body Stories campaign about vagina dysmorphia is being backed by The Eve Appeal - the UK charity which raises awareness and funds research into the five gynaecological cancers – ovarian, womb, cervical, vaginal and vulval.
Twenty-one women die every day from gynaecological cancer in the UK. By talking about vaginal health, Loose Women wants to encourage all women to regularly check their bodies to know what is normal for you. This will enable women to identify any changes or signs and symptoms they may be concerned about.
A spokesperson for the charity said: 'We are delighted to be supporting Loose Women’s Body Stories campaign. Women are literally dying of embarrassment. Breaking down the taboos that surround gynae health are absolutely central to our mission. We want gynae issues to be as easy to talk about as back ache. It’s fantastic to have the straight-talking Loose Women on board – because until we have NORMAL conversations about vaginas and periods, we won’t make strides in diagnosing gynae cancers at their earliest stage.'
Twenty-one women die every day from gynaecological cancer in the UK.
As part of the campaign to show that every body is unique, members of the Loose Women panel and production team have contributed to sculptor Jamie McCartney’s highly-acclaimed The Great Wall of Vagina, a piece of artwork made up of plaster moulds of female genitalia, created to encourage women to accept that their vaginas are ‘normal’.
Alongside Jamie, Dr Larisa Corda, a gynaecology specialist, will also be appearing on the show to highlight the new crisis in body confidence. Dr Corda has seen a rise in patients seeking help for anxiety and shame brought about by new pressures to have the ‘perfect’ vagina.
She says: 'I’ve seen a rise in what I would call vagina dysmorphia. There is an expectation of what constitutes the perfect vagina. We don’t talk about these worries, not even with our friends. Women find it embarrassing to talk about their vaginas and there is still a lot of stigma, they feel self conscious about it and are worried that they are abnormal.
'I have met women who feel ashamed and apologise for the way that their vaginas look. They say things like "I haven’t had a chance to shave or wax" or "do you think it looks normal?". They ask if it looks normal and want reassurance that it conforms.
'It is so sad that they are apologising for the way they look down there. They feel like they are not good enough. There is no such thing as a "perfect vagina" there is such a broad spectrum of what is normal.'
Helplines and information about gynaecological cancers are available here.