Let's talk about it Podcast: Take a look - the mirror exercise
Let's talk about it Podcast: Take a look - the mirror exercise
Vulvas and vaginas are pretty amazing. There’s often a lot of mystery surrounding what they look like, what they do, how they smell, and even how they change over time. This activity is going to guide you through looking at your vulva and vagina. You'll need a quiet, private, comfortable spot, clean hands and a handheld mirror.
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Welcome to “Let's talk about it” podcast — brought to you by Laaha.
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Laaha is an open, online platform where women and girls
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can get information about their health, wellbeing, and safety.
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Please remember: All content provided on the platform
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is based on scientific knowledge for educational purposes only.
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It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice or treatment.
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My name is Maria, and I’m here to talk to you about the beauty
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of our bodies and particularly about the most intimate parts -
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the vulva and vagina.Vulvas and vaginas are pretty amazing.
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There’s often a lot of mystery surrounding what they look like,
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what they do, how they smell, and even how they change over time.
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This activity is going to guide you through looking at your vulva and vagina.
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You'll need
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a quiet, private, comfortable spot, clean hands and a handheld mirror.
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Women and girls in many contexts experience genital cutting,
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which involves the partial or total removal of external female
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genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs.
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If you have experienced this, you might not be able to identify
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some of the parts of the vulva and vagina mentioned in the following steps.
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If you have questions about how this impacts
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the growth and development of your vulva and vagina,
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find a service provider near you by clicking on ‘Need help’.
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Step one.
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Let go of any feelings of shame.
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Your vulva and vagina are as important
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as all of your other body parts.
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Remember: body acceptance
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and building a connection with your vulva and vagina takes time.
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When you're ready, move on to the next step.
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Step two.
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Spread your knees apart and hold the mirror
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in front of your vulva and vagina.
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Step three.
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Can you see your labia majora?
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These are the large lips of your vulva.
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Hair grows on them naturally.
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The labia majora’s job is to protect
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the more sensitive parts inside.
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Step four.
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Now find your labia minora.
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These are the smaller lips.
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Move them gently and take a closer look.
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They might be very dark or very fair,
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one side might be significantly longer than the other.
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This is all totally normal!
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The skin will be more sensitive than your labia majora
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and it will be wrinkly or stretchy.
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Step five
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Gently use your fingers to find where the most sensitive part of your vulva is.
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This is most likely your clitoris.
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Step six.Seeif you can move your labia minoras apart
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and expose your vaginal opening.
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It might look like a hole
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or have a membrane immediately after the opening.
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If you see a thin membrane - that’s your hymen.
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If you don’t, don’t worry!
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Hymens break in many ways during a woman or girl’s life.
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Step seven.
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Pretty amazing, right?
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Doing this activity is educational.
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It is important to know what your body looks like because
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it's yours, but it will also help keep you safe.
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If you ever notice anything different down there (such as redness or bumps),
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you can let your doctor know about any changes.
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If you have more questions or would like to talk to
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someone—you can find contact details of a service provider
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near you by clicking on ‘Need help’ or to search for more articles
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using the search function or the chatbot.
