Rebecca Baldwin
Portfolio Director, Women’s Health Innovation Series
Sexual health has a long history of stigma and shame, in part because of how we do — and don’t — talk about it.
I believe in advocating for loud, unapologetic and candid use of language to empower men and women. The normalisation of sexual health can reduce the stigma associated with it and encourage individuals to embrace it as an integral aspect of overall health and wellness.
Impact of sexual health language and words
When it comes to discussing our sexual health, the silence is deafening. A lack of education about our vulvas, vaginas and penises has led to a generation that is confused, embarrassed and unsure of their bodies. The impact of this ‘hush hush’ culture is having devastating health consequences; for instance, 35% of women report not attending routine cervical screenings, asserting embarrassment as their main reason.
Barriers to breaking the silence
This silence is catalysed by advertisement laws, which have made it nearly impossible to discuss sexual health online. The word ‘vulva’ sits among 40 others that lead to shadow-banned content across social media, which means the content — including the word — is likely to reach fewer people. This doubles the chances that those looking for answers may resort to pornography for information, which is often unreal, unfair or misleading.
The word ‘vulva’ sits among 40 others that lead to shadow-banned content across social media.
There has been positive progress with the likes of the Centre for Intimacy Justice and others campaigning for change to social media policies. Following such activity, last year, Meta announced changes to its sexual health policies. However, several brands are still reporting shadow banning for content specifically surrounding women’s sexual health.
Influencing change in sexual health stigma
There is clearly a way to go in undoing the stigma around sexual health. For healthcare providers, the priority should be to ensure patients feel safe, confident and empowered to discuss any sexual health issues they may face.
For governments, it is to ensure all young people have access to accurate, comprehensive and informative sexual health education. For you and me, it might be as simple as starting to talk about our experience with our sexual health. Let’s call them what they are: penis, vagina, vulva.