Interested in getting involved in a great cause? National Week of Action – Sex Education starts September 28th and Planned Parenthood of Delaware has some great opportunities to support comprehensive sex education in this country! Check out our Fall Workshop Series for professionals and parents in the community. Click here for more information.
Be sure to keep up-to-date with us on Facebook, MySpace and Twitter as we launch new media outreach! Also, join us at the 23rd Annual AIDS Walk on September 27th at Rockford Park! For more information or to register, check out AIDS Walk Delaware or call 302-652-6776.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Intersex…Inter-What?
If you’ve been paying attention to the sports section of the newspaper these days you may have come across an article on a female champion track start who was recently reported to have no ovaries or uterus and instead have internal testes which produce large amounts of testosterone. Although reports have not been confirmed, this article brings to light the condition known as “intersex”.
It’s important to know that being a girl or boy is about more than a penis or vagina. It includes sex, gender and gender identity. Here are some definitions to help sort it all out:
Sex = biological – a combination of chromosomes (XX for girls, XY for boys), physical parts (genitals) and hormones
Gender = society’s expectations of how boys and girls look, think and act
Gender Identity = how you feel about your gender and how you convey those feelings (through clothing, behavior, speech etc.)
According to the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), intersex is a "general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male." Approximately one in 2,000 infants is born with intersex conditions (also known as "disorders of sex development") every year.
As can be expected, the condition of intersex can create a variety of feelings and responses. For people trying to negotiate their own feelings about it, try to seek support. For more information about intersex, click here.
It’s important to know that being a girl or boy is about more than a penis or vagina. It includes sex, gender and gender identity. Here are some definitions to help sort it all out:
Sex = biological – a combination of chromosomes (XX for girls, XY for boys), physical parts (genitals) and hormones
Gender = society’s expectations of how boys and girls look, think and act
Gender Identity = how you feel about your gender and how you convey those feelings (through clothing, behavior, speech etc.)
According to the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), intersex is a "general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male." Approximately one in 2,000 infants is born with intersex conditions (also known as "disorders of sex development") every year.
As can be expected, the condition of intersex can create a variety of feelings and responses. For people trying to negotiate their own feelings about it, try to seek support. For more information about intersex, click here.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
What's Goin’ on Down There?!
Labiaplasty, Vaginoplasty, Hymenoplasty, Clitoropexy…what does it all mean?!
These are terms for various female genital cosmetic surgeries (FGCS) that some women are choosing to undergo. In other words, surgeries which tighten, tuck and trim areas of the vulva (including the labia, clitoris, pubic mound, etc.) and the vagina.
So why would women choose elective surgery on their most private parts? Women cite various reasons for undergoing FGCS…everything from possible enhanced sexual gratification to a Valentine’s Day present for a partner.
My initial thought is, maybe some women need to reevaluate their priorities…
Why do some women choose this particular endeavor? Is it really for themselves - to make them feel beautiful or sexy? Is it because they’ve sized up their own body in comparison to someone else and determined they aren’t good enough? Or is it at the request of another person (lover, partner etc.)?
So many questions unanswered…
My momma always said, when considering anything that is potentially life changing (and/or appearance changing), make a pro-con list! I suppose though, if it was me and there was ever a con which included “potential loss of feeling,” it would be no-brainer…but to each her own…
No matter what your feelings on this particular topic, let’s remember that the vulva is beautiful and unique to each woman. No two look exactly alike, nor should they.
If we’re basing our perception of beauty by what we see in pornography, we probably have a distorted idea of what a vulva actually looks like. Since there are a myriad of vulvas out there in the world, maybe instead of trying to achieve the “perfect” look, we should focus more on enjoying our own unique beauty. It’s time for women to enjoy every part of their bodies!
Interested in more information? Check out this article…
…and if you’d like to see all the beautiful diversity the world has to offer in the vulva (and penis) departments, click here.
These are terms for various female genital cosmetic surgeries (FGCS) that some women are choosing to undergo. In other words, surgeries which tighten, tuck and trim areas of the vulva (including the labia, clitoris, pubic mound, etc.) and the vagina.
So why would women choose elective surgery on their most private parts? Women cite various reasons for undergoing FGCS…everything from possible enhanced sexual gratification to a Valentine’s Day present for a partner.
My initial thought is, maybe some women need to reevaluate their priorities…
Why do some women choose this particular endeavor? Is it really for themselves - to make them feel beautiful or sexy? Is it because they’ve sized up their own body in comparison to someone else and determined they aren’t good enough? Or is it at the request of another person (lover, partner etc.)?
So many questions unanswered…
My momma always said, when considering anything that is potentially life changing (and/or appearance changing), make a pro-con list! I suppose though, if it was me and there was ever a con which included “potential loss of feeling,” it would be no-brainer…but to each her own…
No matter what your feelings on this particular topic, let’s remember that the vulva is beautiful and unique to each woman. No two look exactly alike, nor should they.
If we’re basing our perception of beauty by what we see in pornography, we probably have a distorted idea of what a vulva actually looks like. Since there are a myriad of vulvas out there in the world, maybe instead of trying to achieve the “perfect” look, we should focus more on enjoying our own unique beauty. It’s time for women to enjoy every part of their bodies!
Interested in more information? Check out this article…
…and if you’d like to see all the beautiful diversity the world has to offer in the vulva (and penis) departments, click here.
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