The importance of knowing your vulva from your vagina | Letters

Guardian readers respond to an article separating fact from fiction on all things ‘down there’As a gynaecological cancer surgeon, I am pleased to see some myths about vulvas and vaginas being busted (Everything you ever wanted to know about vaginas … but were too afraid to Google, 2 November). However, it’s disappointing that you used pictures of vulvas, while only using vaginas in the title, thereby undermining myth No 1 in the article (that the vagina is the name for whole genital area). It would also have been helpful to encourage people to check their vulvas, to get used to their normal and be aware of changes. Sadly, I see many women who present late with vulval cancer because they “didn’t know you could get cancer down there”.Dr Jo Morrison Taunton, Somerset• It was great that you decided to demystify the vulva, but there was inherent misogyny in the piece. “The clitoris is a mini-penis” is something your author states is “true-ish”, but why is there an assumption that the male is the norm and the female is a deviant or different version? Perhaps the penis is actually just a (usually) slightly larger version of the clitoris? BJ WoodsteinNorwich Continue reading...