The
female body is often viewed as an object of beauty, intrigue and
sexuality. When discussing a woman's body many features come to mind:
smooth skin, soft lips, the vulva and curvaceous hips and breasts. Hold
on, what an earth is a vulva?
In a society where sex,
drugs and profanity have become paramount, why is the word vulva considered
unmentionable? It is the notion of 'inappropriateness', as well as the
embarrassment and shame, affixed to gynaecological conditions that contributes
to many preventable female deaths all around the world each year.
For the unaware,
the vulva refers to a woman's visible external genitalia. This includes the
mons pubis (known as the mount of Venus) the majora labia and labia minora
(outer and inner lips), the vestibule (vagina entrance) and the clitoris.
Kathleen Mazzella,
founder of GAIN (Gynaecological Awareness Information Network) endured the
trauma of being diagnosed and treated for gynaecological cancer. At 42 years
old Mrs. Mazzella underwent a vulvectomy resulting in the removal of her entire
vulva.
The first Saturday
in April 2006 marked the Vulval Awareness Day, a day Mrs. Mazzella has dreamt
about. She likened her dream to the desire of owning a Lamborghini. “You’ve
worked for it and lived it, breathed it, drank it, smelt it, sexed it, and
finally your dream comes true. I had a dream to have a national gynaecological
awareness day – which we’ve had. And I have had a dream to have an
international vulval awareness day.”
In response to the
needs of women throughout the world, Mrs. Mazzella is lobbying for more
awareness, funding and research for Gynaecological Cancers and Pre Cancers.
Politician Louise
Pratt MLC declared the Vulval Awareness Day open with the ceremonial cutting of
a brightly adorned pink ribbon.
“Women really do
need to be able to talk openly about their gynaecological health with health
professionals and with each other” Ms Pratt said, commending GAIN for the
Vulval Awareness Day.
Ms Pratt went on
to state the importance of ensuring that “women’s voices are heard by public
health professionals, policy makers and politicians. These (gynaecological
conditions) are not just medical conditions, they have a profound impact on
women’s sense of self and their day to day lives both psychologically and
physically.”
“Being female
often isn’t much fun. From periods to managing sexual health and negotiating
safe sex, to having the confidence to talk to your doctor about sexual
reproduction, from thrush to pap smears, to ingrown hairs on your bikini line,”
Ms Pratt spoke candidly, “it is actually really refreshing to be able to stand
on a public platform and talk so openly about such very personal things
associated with being a woman.”
Whilst women have
“come some way in lifting the veil from this ‘secret women’s business’” Ms
Pratt said that “too many women are still putting their lives at risk from a
lack of confidence” which would enable them to negotiate safe sex, have an STI
test, get regular pap smears or conduct a vulval self examination.
Melissa Beeck,
GAIN member, Science Graduate, pathologist, reflexologist, massage therapist
and naturopath to be, assisted in establishing the Vulval Vestibulits Support
(VVS) Group. At the Vulval Awareness Day she shared her gynaecological
experiences.
[BB]
For ten years Mrs.
Beeck has suffered VVS which refers to the inflammation of the vestibule and
vagina. VVS can be spontaneous or due to a trauma of the vulva and as of yet
there is no cure. Accompanying VVS, Vulvodynia concerns intense vulva pain. In
both conditions the skin is usually extremely dry, tearing easily, leaving tiny
painful fissures.
“The pain is like
a sore throat that’s been turned inside out and dragged along gravel” Mrs.
Beeck said.
The extreme vulva
pain caused by VVS and Vulvodynia often makes intercourse impossible. Mrs.
Beeck spoke about the heartache she felt being unable to experience sex with
her husband “because of this excruciating pain that everyone insists is in your
head.”
Mrs. Beeck proudly
announced that after eight years of Allopathic treatments, physical therapy and
naturopathy she is “only raw at the vestibule, no longer throughout the
vagina.” Whilst intercourse is still painful this is a vast improvement which
has allowed her to become pregnant.
Pathologist Dr.
Jane Thompson studies conditions that occur in vulvas. “Once we get over the
taboo and everything that we think is sexual, what we are actually looking at
is skin” Dr. Thompson said with regard to the vulva.
“We’re taught that
‘down there’ is essentially dirty but in fact the vulva and vagina are actually
an incredibly clean space” Dr. Thompson said.
Dr. Thompson
pleaded with the audience, “Ladies, if you’ve got a lump or a bump, don’t just
ignore it because you feel it’s in the wrong place or it’s in a place you feel
ashamed of. See your doctor immediately and if you’re not happy then get a
second opinion.”
For more
information visit the GAIN Inc website at www.gynsupport.com
Politics
Factzone: The truth about Kim Jong Il
Kim Jong Il, the leader of the free world, has decided to move on to more fertile grounds, leaving with us just the memories of 8-color rainbows, singing Korean women and couple of nuclear weapons. But who was this man whose next ambition would have been to get the next Nobel Peace prize? Here are just a few facts you should know about.
more
Top 5 Conspiracy Theories Related to John F. Kennedy's Assassination
26.Aug 2011
Since just after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, conspiracy theories abou...read
ISRAEL KEEPING GHADDAFI AFLOAT
10.Mar 2011
...read
Glen Beck Is NOT the Anti-Christ!
10.Mar 2011
Hurtful and fiery rhetoric is now media’s default setting! This slippery and m...read
Recipe for A REVOLUTION! (10 easy steps - try not to get burned!)
28.Feb 2011
Rebellion is cooking in the air. People are mad as hell, and not going to take...read
Opinion
World governments charged with criminal negligence (in response to Megaupload case)
EARTH (thecheers.org) - Federal authorities of the universe have charged the governments of all the countries in the world as well as the operators actually in power in these countries with operating a criminal enterprise, the Galaxy warriors announced Today.
more
The Great OSCARS 2011 – or so it would seem
5.Mar 2011
So, how exciting......a morning off, the Academy Awards. I wish I could say the...read
Top 7 Expensive Bordellos. Prostitution: Shakedown, Tier Down, and Priced Out
31.Jan 2011
According to a report of the Washington DC-based US Department of State, The Ph...read
The Great Secret and Reason for the JFK Assassination
11.Oct 2010
The great question is why the great secret? On June 4 1963, President Kennedy s...read
Don't Do it! The 3 Worst Times to Get Tattoos
4.Oct 2010
As a general rule, tattoos gotten after 2 am are a bad idea. But in a bigger pi...read
|
Travel
Travel Warning 13 September 2010 - DO NOT TRAVEL TO IRAN
13.Sep 2010
TRAVELWISE has been watching the situation in Iran for some months in relation ...read
more
TRAVELWISE TRAVEL ADVISORY 5th June 2010. DO NOT TRAVEL TO ISRAEL.
5.Jun 2010
Given the recent incident whereby the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, used...read
TRAVELWISE. 16 APRIL 2010. EUROPEAN TRAVEL ALTERNATIVES
16.Apr 2010
Travelwise issues the following advice in relation to cancelled flights to, fro...read
TRAVELWISE 6 APRIL 2010. AUSTRALIAN AIR TRAVEL. THE BEST WAYS TO TRAVEL BY AIR IN AUSTRALIA.
5.Apr 2010
Regular readers might have seen and read the various advisory and no-fly notice...read
TRAVELWISE 2 APRIL 2010. QANTAS.
2.Apr 2010
Some concerns have been raised in relation to some of the maintenance practices...read
No Payoff From the Playoffs
$16.50 will Get Anyone in the Hall Mr McGwire
Stupid Athlete Tricks
Think Big! Think the World's Largest International Trade Show
Top 9 cool laptop accessories for laptop geeks
Twittering: I'm not that interesting
Cheers
|
