Why is Vagina a Dirty Word?
Privates. Hoo-ha. Vajayjay. There are so many nicknames for the vagina that last month The Frisky was able to come up with a list of 40. But why exactly is the word “vagina” so taboo?
Back when I was a full-time journalist I once had a man tell me he didn’t think it was proper for a woman freelancing for our paper to write a sex column, even though she was a doctor writing the column in a straight-forward, professional manner. Why wasn’t it OK? Because she had to use words like “vagina” and that simply was not lady-like. (I then proceeded to yell the word “vagina” over and over until he ran out the room because I figured that was the mature way to handle the situation.)
Most of you probably think his comment is ridiculous, but if vagina is not a dirty word why do we act as if it’s off limits for little girls? Think about it. The creation of vagina nicknames begins early in life, the day we point “down there” and ask our mamas “What’s that?” Most likely, your mother’s answer was not, “Sweetie, that is your vagina.”
My mother, who actually was very candid with me about sex as I got older, called it a pocketbook! Imagine the confusion (and hilarity) that ensued when I started going to school and my friends and I began talking about purses.
Ms. magazine writer Meika Loe has mentioned that her 2-year-old daughter was the only toddler at her daycare who knew the word vagina and that her daughter’s teachers were embarrassed by her use of the term. Other mothers have even shared stories of being criticized by teachers and other parents for teaching their daughter to say vagina instead of some cutesy nickname.
I’m not a parent, so I’m turning to folks who are to ask, why can’t a little girl be taught that she has a vagina, not a cookie jar, between her legs?
I think it’s just ignorance. People refusing to think for themselves.
I have 3 girls, ages 6, 4, and 3 and they use the word “vagina”.
We need to break away from that antiquated way of thinking. Mothers and Fathers have feared the topic of sex for too long.
Maybe if we open up the conversation with our children, there would be less cases of STDs and teen pregnancy.
I don’t see what the issue is. I taught my kids the proper names. They know that some boys have penises and some girls have vaginas. I didn’t see any need for embarrassment though I did have a teacher try to teach my boy a pet name for his penis. We teach our kids to be ashamed because we are embarrassed and that is ridiculous.
Stanley and Renee, I’m so glad that both of you have taught your children to use the proper terms.