Vaginal infections, mycosis, the appearance of the vulva… When it comes to sexual and reproductive health, knowledge is important, especially in a world where sexual and reproductive rights are constantly hampered and endangered. To help everyone get to know these topics better, an initiative has therefore sprung up in the UK. Intimate product brand Canesten and the PSHE Association have teamed up to create a series of courses, which kicked off in mid-July.
This series, called “The Truth, Undressed”, is made for teachers or people who want to learn on their own. You can find educational articles via the dedicated website (content in English) or, for teachers, download the teaching materials (also in English) via this link. Depending on the needs of the students (girls or boys from 11 to 18 years old), teachers can adapt their lessons: use illustrations, photos or just texts.
Pubic hair and vaginal flora
The topics make it possible to approach the question of the shame of one’s own body, pubic hair or to understand what a vaginal flora is and the impact of the clothes one wears on our sexual health. So many important topics yet ignored by much of the British population, according to a study reported by the English version of the magazine cosmopolitan : 60% of respondents only discovered vaginal infections when they first encountered them. We have seen better in the area of prevention.
“Until now, it has been difficult for young people to learn the facts about their bodies and understand vaginal health, while historically the vast majority of vulva depictions portrayed in porn and other forms of media and popular culture have been are both over-sexualized and portrayed. a socially ‘perfect’ body that is not representative of reality.”
Liz Laming, of the PSHE Association
Fighting these stereotypes and better informing young people about these topics is nevertheless crucial, as explained by Dr. Elly Hanson, who helped develop the courses: “Research shows that negative feelings and misunderstanding of the vulva and vagina are common and can have very harmful consequences, especially for girls and women”described them in the columns of cosmo.
Click here to discover the content for yourself and help your teen(s) learn. Meanwhile, who knows, a French translation?