A survey found that half of men were unable to identify where the vagina is in a diagram, and women are almost just as clueless. In celebration of Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month this September, an organization is calling for a more open conversation on gynecological health.
Clueless Men
A recent survey conducted by The Eve Appeal found that half of men are not quite knowledgeable about the female genitalia. Among the 2,000 men involved in the survey, 50 percent of them were unable to point out where the vagina was, and 61 percent were unable to distinguish the vulva in the anatomical diagram.
In fact, 17 percent of the men stated that they know nothing about female gyne health, as it is a "female issue." Hence there is no need to know. What's more, only 20 percent of the men expressed confidence in discussing changes in their partner's vagina, and merely 17 percent felt they understood how the vagina works.
Public Cervix Announcement
Sadly, the stigma surrounding the conversation on gyne health seems to extend to women as well because the survey also found that women were almost just as clueless about their own bodies as men because they too were unable to point out the right body parts in the diagram.
In fact, just like one-fifth of men who found the topic too embarrassing to discuss, 15 percent of women said they would not go to a doctor if they find a lump in their vagina, and 19 percent would also not go even if they experience vaginal bleeding.
Open The Conversation
Because of the dire results, The Eve Appeal's chief executive Athena Lamnisos believes that even in this day and age, women's bodies remain to be taboo subjects even among women. This is proven by a 2014 study in which they found that 65 of women are still uncomfortable in using the word "vagina," and 40 percent of 16- to 25-year-old women prefer to use words such as "lady parts" and "flower."
Because of this, The Eve Appeal wants to open the conversation on gyne health without needing to use code names or feeling embarrassed. This is especially true among women who evidently need to know more about how their own bodies work and how to know when it's time to go see a doctor.
Apart from that, they also want to engage men in the conversation, which is why their campaign "I am Adam" calls on men to be more vocal about gyne health with their partners to encourage them to not feel embarrassed about something that is completely natural.
