More to the Vulva Than Meets the Eye

This month the nether regions of the human body are primary objects of medical attention in the USA.

March is not only the designated Awareness Month for Colorectal Cancer (which affects more men than women) but for Vulvar Cancer as well. Here, of course, women are the sole target.

Nothing in our culture depicts the vulvar area as graphically as the ancient Sheela-na-gig figurative carvings found throughout Europe (e.g., in Ireland, England, France and Spain), and believed to be remnants of a pre-Christian fertility or Mother Goddess religion. The carvings were also believed to have warded off death and evil.

Sheela-na-gig figures appeared all over old Irish churches before the 16th century and many were still in place during the 19th century. Unfortunately, Victorian prudery was responsible for the defacing or destruction of a large number of them. Some have been found buried near the churches they once embellished.

It’s ironic that that part of the female body that was once revered and held to be “representative of the universe within the void” has become in our culture an object of profanity, debasement and even embarrassment on the part of women themselves.

Most women are reluctant to discuss their genitalia, even with healthcare providers.

Don't Want to Talk About It

In the United States, vulvar cancer accounts for about 4% of cancers in the female reproductive organs and 0.6% of all cancers in women. The American Cancer Society estimates that in the year 2006 about 3,740 cancers of the vulva will be diagnosed in the United States, and about 880 women will die of this cancer.

It’s also been determined that women who smoke cigarettes have a greater risk of developing cervix and vulvar cancers. For cervical cancer the relationship appears to be dose-responsive, with one study finding an 80% increased risk of developing the cancer among heavy smokers. It's estimated that 19% of cervical cancer and 40% of vulvar cancer is caused by smoking.

Ladies, if you're reading this, please make an appointment to be examined by your gynaecologist. Like the Sheela-na-gig, that symbol of divine feminity and fertility, your health is in your hands.

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