As a women I have never really been embarrassed talking about women’s health or my intimate areas. In fact I can actually say vagina out loud without laughing. I am more likely to burst into a fit of giggles at someone calling their vagina a tuppence or frou frou, than I am anything else. So I am delighted to be working with Canesten and their #GetComfortable with intimate health and thrush campaign in raising awareness women’s intimate health.
In my house, I have a vagina and the boys have a penis and testicals, sometimes know as a willie and balls as they are getting older and that is what they are called at school! We do not giggle about the names of our intimate areas, but we sometimes giggle about their functions and habits! I was really keen raising two boys that they felt OK to discuss and use the correct terminology, I want them to know that their body is theirs and nothing to be ashamed of and to feel the same way about girls bodies. I think a lot of this is down to the way that I was brought up, my feminine hygiene products were never hidden away and my Dad didn’t even bat an eyelid at buying tampons.
I am going to lay my cards on the table here and say that I am very familiar with thrush and with Canesten. I have suffered with it since being a small child, in fact every time a have had to have a course of antibiotics since being small I have developed thrush and as I got older my periods have even been know to trigger thrust.
Thrush is a really common vaginal yeast infection and it is so common that three out of four women will experience it and contrary to common misconception it is not a sexually transmitted infection.
I am one of those lucky kids, who’s parents picked up on my thrush really early and knew as soon as I started to look uncomfortable or itch that it was time to reach for the cream. Thrush wasn’t a dirty word in my home growing up, neither was vagina. It is important to me as a parent and a women that we talk about intimate health. My parent’s also worked hard at figuring out my triggers, which included bath products, nylon knickers (or tights) antibiotics and wiping the wrong way after the loo when I was small ( you have to wipe front to back after going to the toilet).
Get comfortable with women’s intimate health
I have to say that the Canesten website is a really informative site with lots of fab information and resources. in fact I learned a lot from their web site about conditions I had never heard of before such as bacterial vaginosis (BV).
I love Canestan’s promise to women
“We believe that if you feel more comfortable with your own body, you are more likely to reach your full potential throughout your life. And we want you to be unstoppable so you can focus on the things that really matter.
That’s why Canesten is committed to helping women on their life journey, reassuring them with knowledge and innovative solutions to keep them in control of their intimate health. So, let’s forget crossed legs, worried glances, frantic symptom searching and embarrassing conversations. Now it’s time for you to get comfortable.
We shouldn’t be embarrassed by our bodies. They do amazing things, such as birthing babies and watching the sun rise and set. We also should be teaching our children not to have hang ups about their bodies too, along with the fact that they bodies are amazing and that they are in control of them.
So I want to ask you “Do you find feminine health a difficult topic to discuss?”
And to encourage you to answer me, I am giving away a £50 John Lewis voucher.
Win a £50 John Lewis Voucher and Get comfortable with Canesten
Disclosure: This post has been supported by Canesten, but all thoughts are our own
Thanks for sharing this Jen 🙂
You know the word vaguna makes me giggle a little – just a little!
not really i work in a chemists
I love this post, mostly because of how it shows the importance of being able to talk openly with your family because if you can’t talk to your nearest and dearest, how on earth will you talk to anyone else about it?
I find it very easy to talk about this kind of thing, I’ve had to be! I’ve suffered from severely painful, heavy and irregular periods since I was 13 and was diagnosed with Endometriosis at 21. Talking about symptoms such as an aching throb in the vaginas or a stabbing pain in the rectum with a doctor is not something you can do using other “pet names” for them. I hasten to add I don’t say quite as much to people in general conversation (there is such a thing as TMI when chatting over tea haha) but I’ve also never held back when discussing periods, painful sex, how certain sanitary towels caused me irritation or leaked etc when chatting with friends (some of whom were less comfortable, I admit, but not many thankfully!)
I’m reading a fascinating book at the moment which comments on how women are so used to hiding things about themselves because we just aren’t used to respecting those things that make us who we are… Isn’t that such a shame?
I’m sorry to hear you’ve suffered so badly with thrush. I must admit I’d never had it before having a baby but since then seem to get it every so often, for no reason I have managed to work out other than having sex (let’s just say that when sex is painful actual penetration isn’t always an option but it seems that when we do get that far thrush often follows, unfortunately!)
It doesn’t bother me….I am quite open and up front about lady bits and their health.
Yes – I have to admit I do find it hard to talk about :/ I am part of this campaign as well though so making myself face that fear and talk about it!!
Like you I think it’s important my children know the correct terminology for their own bodies. I was taught to feel shame just for having a female body (its propensity to lure the opposite sex my fault not theirs) and I sure as hell don’t want either of my daughters to feel that. Education and an open attitude to discussion is imperative in raising our girls to be strong women confident in their own form.
No and it is really important we do discuss these issues especially as I have a daughter who I want to feel confident about her body and her health
I have to admit that I do feel uncomfortable talking about it, although the kids have no qualms themselves lol
Despite my best efforts we have a very open door house so nothing is private and my children know the differences between male and female bodies.
I think its great to talk openly with your kids from a young age to stop them getting embarrassed after all they are just body parts.
i dont mind saying vagina out loud either! … being 8 months pregnant and just been on antibiotics it was inevitable that i would get a bout of it again .. so no point being embarrassed … embarrassment doesnt fix it! 🙂
Yes I find it uncomfortable to discuss these matters with doctors and pharmacists. But with things like thrush the sooner they are treated the less discomfort they cause! So it’s great that Canesten can be bought over the counter these days.
After four children, it’s all been examined and prodded many times!! I am very open with my children about our bits – everyone has them! Kaz x
If you’re talking to a professional such as a doctor or nurse then just remember they have seen/heard it all before (and a lot worse than what you have). If talking to friends then you know how much of a friend they are by how blunt you are, using the correct words in a matter of fact way is the best. I don’t really find it too difficult but it does depend on the person and the occasion, there’s a time and a place for such things.