Girly Parts

[geminigirl]

(This is my reply to a post in vaginapagina about not calling girlparts by cute nicknames like "girly bits." I'm just rather happy with the way it turned out so I'm sharing.)

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Sorry, but I have to respectfully (but firmly) disagree with you. Here's why:

A large part of my job is running a six session HIV/STD/Substance Abuse prevention workshop with high risk teens and young adults. One of the first things I do is invoke the "comfortable language rule." In everyday life, many people don't use the technical language for their genitalia, and I'd much rather have people be able to ask the questions they need answered than feel restricted to using the correct terminology. And I revew the correct terminology, and do an exercise in anatomy with each group. I also have them tell me the words they might use for body parts. It familiarizes me with what I might hear (although it's repetitive, since I keep hearing the same ones) and it allows the group I work with the become comfortable talking about sex and sexuality.

Simply put, expecting everyone to know and use technical language means that there may be quite a few questions that don't get answered, or people who have similar or the same questions who may not understand exactly what the first question or the responses are saying.

And in a community of women, ownership of our own bodies is paramount. And that includes being able to call them what we like.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/grimkitten_/]

I totally agree. Sometimes I honestly cannot say the technical terms without blushing, it makes me squirm. ick

There is no way that I would call my "hoo hoo" by the "V" word in conversation. Silly I know, but oh well.