I hope you have FB and can post this to the "FemaleTweensandTeens" and "DadsRaisingGirls" pages. I'm nearing 70, raised mostly by my grandmother her words when she caught my sister buying a Summer's Eve Douche stuck in my head for my life "If it's stinking wash it, on the outside; If it's leaking, schedule an appt with Dr. D; If it hurts, burns try drinking more water, if that don't fix it, schedule an appt with Dr. D; But whatever you do, DO NOT stick something in there that doesn't belong" 60 years ago we had specific white cloths we used as pads, held in by the weirdest contraption, changed when needed, soaked in bleach water, rinsed thoroughly, sun dried on the screened in porch, away from flying insects and placed in a fabric bag until next time. I'm still alive and have never had a sick or stinky vagina. Kudos to you for an Article well done!
I am not familiar with those FB groups, but teens are exactly who I am trying to reach. Is the group open to external links? Some groups don't like that.
Internalised misogyny? Weaponising women’s shame to sell us stuff we neither needed nor wanted until the marketing department told us that, actually, yes, we needed and wanted these products. I’d love to see Goop selling products to men to clean their bits so they are more attractive to women and taste much better so they have in increased chance to get a BJ.
You’re not wrong, but she could have literally done almost anything and made shitloads of money. Maybe she’s a true believer in new age woo crap also. 🤷♂️
This takes me back to my public health nursing days. I worked in a family planning clinic in the 70’s. We told all of our clients “cotton panties, no colored tp, no douches, and no feminine sprays”. There was a book we used too called Our Bodies Ourselves. One of the things they encouraged women to do was to use a pocket mirror to look at their vajayjay. We used real terms- vagina back in the old days Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
incredible... but not.... so much of this issue in particular and women's fashion in general is the creation from a man's perspective (much like women's fashions... stiletto heals were not invented for long mountain hikes or to be comfortable).. they were there to satisfy a man's image of what a woman should look like... so much of the nonsense around a woman's vagina, vulva, labia, etc. is created by that same group... unclean unhealthy make it sanitized for the man... there were a plethora of old ads talking about women's privates and hitting them with things like chlorox otherwise they would be shunned by men... meanwhile men walk around not having showered in days (or so it would smell..) unclean clothes, not so great personal hygiene, and the ubiquitous backwards baseball cap! by the way, as a white male in America i can say these things without being accused of all sorts of nonsense... this has been going on since time immemorial and it is unfortunate that a column like this still needs to be written today. we have industries that have brainwashed half our population into believing innately wrong and stupid things, and in this instance very few people stand up and point out (thank you Carlyn) how wrong and dangerous it is... but the hypocrisy really gets me... but when we live in a country where the president can tell us to drink bleach to cure Covid and tell us that chicken soup and vitamin A will fix measles... we should all invest in leach farms as that will be next...
Oh I completely forgot about this. The commercials are so horrible. And why is this only marketed to women? And they always feature zaftig type women. Skinny women never smell? You inspired me. Definitely, need to tackle this one next.
And also this ridiculous “sizing” of tampons…and the inference that you should stock several sizes for different days or moods or whatever the fuck they’re talking about….leave it to a tampon company to find a way to make girls more insecure about whether they are making the right decisions about “size”
When I was a youngster, I remember my grandma told me about douching and she told me that she used freaking Lysol to do it. Apparently, Lysol was originally a liquid cleaning product and ladies just doubled it up as a vagina cleaner. Truly, a one for all cleaning detergent. 🤯
Oh yes, it was years after we had that conversation before the actual what the fuck-ness of that conversation really hit home because I was young when she told me that.
That this information is not being taught to young women even before they get their periods in the 21st century is mind blowing! The lack of proper sex education at home and in schools is how predatory capitalism and patriarchal values intersect to shame women and simultaneously cash in on that shame. That’s a shame. Thank for this much needed informative and entertaining article!
I laughed so hard at some of this but it really is good information and important information men need to know this to help support their wives or girlfriends so they can protect from harm. And if a woman has a yeast infection there is a good chance the male has one also. And eating at the Y is horrible if on medication or the yeast.
You might be confusing BV with a yeast infection. BV causes a distinct fish odor. Yeast...well, it just sort of smells like bread. Sometimes, you get both.
Btw, you can pass both between partners but a yeast infection is not technically an STI. BV is finally considered an STI.
Boric Acid / Monistat for vulva wash, Clove:salt sitz bath for gentle steam vagina; Non scented soap and warm water for vulva, Lactobacillus for internal balancing … so many companies make millions and just investigating Simple Solutions can work wonders
I love the Monistat vulva wash. It has boric acid. I try not to promote products because I am not an MD. Thanks for giving it a doctor stamp of approval.
You have the talent to make a serious subject matter entertaining. Thank you; and now I can pass along these ridiculous marketing schemes to my 18 year old granddaughter. ☺️
I hope you have FB and can post this to the "FemaleTweensandTeens" and "DadsRaisingGirls" pages. I'm nearing 70, raised mostly by my grandmother her words when she caught my sister buying a Summer's Eve Douche stuck in my head for my life "If it's stinking wash it, on the outside; If it's leaking, schedule an appt with Dr. D; If it hurts, burns try drinking more water, if that don't fix it, schedule an appt with Dr. D; But whatever you do, DO NOT stick something in there that doesn't belong" 60 years ago we had specific white cloths we used as pads, held in by the weirdest contraption, changed when needed, soaked in bleach water, rinsed thoroughly, sun dried on the screened in porch, away from flying insects and placed in a fabric bag until next time. I'm still alive and have never had a sick or stinky vagina. Kudos to you for an Article well done!
I am not familiar with those FB groups, but teens are exactly who I am trying to reach. Is the group open to external links? Some groups don't like that.
Why does Gwyneth Paltrow hate women?
Internalised misogyny? Weaponising women’s shame to sell us stuff we neither needed nor wanted until the marketing department told us that, actually, yes, we needed and wanted these products. I’d love to see Goop selling products to men to clean their bits so they are more attractive to women and taste much better so they have in increased chance to get a BJ.
This ^
Thank you, Carlyn ❤️
Because it pays well…
You’re not wrong, but she could have literally done almost anything and made shitloads of money. Maybe she’s a true believer in new age woo crap also. 🤷♂️
I think it’s easier to believe in “new age woo crap” when it pays well….
Yeah, I worked for a “holistic” dentist once in the early 1980s. Some of it made sense but when it got to “channeling angels” I had to go.
This was on the top floor of Cedar Sinai Doctor’s Tower, so he was raking it in.
One of the patients at the clinic was Carlos Castaneda (before I got there.) True story.
Dicks? Did dicks make the list. 🤭
How many clicked for this very question 🙋
This takes me back to my public health nursing days. I worked in a family planning clinic in the 70’s. We told all of our clients “cotton panties, no colored tp, no douches, and no feminine sprays”. There was a book we used too called Our Bodies Ourselves. One of the things they encouraged women to do was to use a pocket mirror to look at their vajayjay. We used real terms- vagina back in the old days Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
incredible... but not.... so much of this issue in particular and women's fashion in general is the creation from a man's perspective (much like women's fashions... stiletto heals were not invented for long mountain hikes or to be comfortable).. they were there to satisfy a man's image of what a woman should look like... so much of the nonsense around a woman's vagina, vulva, labia, etc. is created by that same group... unclean unhealthy make it sanitized for the man... there were a plethora of old ads talking about women's privates and hitting them with things like chlorox otherwise they would be shunned by men... meanwhile men walk around not having showered in days (or so it would smell..) unclean clothes, not so great personal hygiene, and the ubiquitous backwards baseball cap! by the way, as a white male in America i can say these things without being accused of all sorts of nonsense... this has been going on since time immemorial and it is unfortunate that a column like this still needs to be written today. we have industries that have brainwashed half our population into believing innately wrong and stupid things, and in this instance very few people stand up and point out (thank you Carlyn) how wrong and dangerous it is... but the hypocrisy really gets me... but when we live in a country where the president can tell us to drink bleach to cure Covid and tell us that chicken soup and vitamin A will fix measles... we should all invest in leach farms as that will be next...
The “sticking wands in your vagina to “ rid the womb of bad energy “ made me laugh so hard it scared the cats
Wouldn’t the best way to prevent “ bad energy” be to not allow bad people any where near your lady bits?
Why do people believe this shit?
Thanks for a great article
Now do one on "all body" deodorant!!
Oh I completely forgot about this. The commercials are so horrible. And why is this only marketed to women? And they always feature zaftig type women. Skinny women never smell? You inspired me. Definitely, need to tackle this one next.
There is a men's one too
https://www.dove.com/us/en/campaigns/products/men-care/whole-body-deo-deodorant.html
And also this ridiculous “sizing” of tampons…and the inference that you should stock several sizes for different days or moods or whatever the fuck they’re talking about….leave it to a tampon company to find a way to make girls more insecure about whether they are making the right decisions about “size”
People are learning very slowly how we need fewer and fewer products than we have been sold.
When I was a youngster, I remember my grandma told me about douching and she told me that she used freaking Lysol to do it. Apparently, Lysol was originally a liquid cleaning product and ladies just doubled it up as a vagina cleaner. Truly, a one for all cleaning detergent. 🤯
I wrote a piece about this many years ago. Maybe I will recycle it for a later date. The history of feminine hygiene is batshit crazy.
Even worse than that, it was MARKETED as douche for birth control.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lysols-vintage-ads-subtly-pushed-women-to-use-its-disinfectant-as-birth-control-218734/
I suppose a lot of people thought vaginas were the enemy. Even women.
This is shocking. What?!?
Oh yes, it was years after we had that conversation before the actual what the fuck-ness of that conversation really hit home because I was young when she told me that.
That this information is not being taught to young women even before they get their periods in the 21st century is mind blowing! The lack of proper sex education at home and in schools is how predatory capitalism and patriarchal values intersect to shame women and simultaneously cash in on that shame. That’s a shame. Thank for this much needed informative and entertaining article!
I am 71., so I’ve had alot of different gynecologists. I wish they could have been schooled by you!
I laughed so hard at some of this but it really is good information and important information men need to know this to help support their wives or girlfriends so they can protect from harm. And if a woman has a yeast infection there is a good chance the male has one also. And eating at the Y is horrible if on medication or the yeast.
You might be confusing BV with a yeast infection. BV causes a distinct fish odor. Yeast...well, it just sort of smells like bread. Sometimes, you get both.
Btw, you can pass both between partners but a yeast infection is not technically an STI. BV is finally considered an STI.
Great info thank you!!
Vulva, vulva, vulva… the V word that gets forgotten.
Loved this! You are doing God(esses) work.
Boric Acid / Monistat for vulva wash, Clove:salt sitz bath for gentle steam vagina; Non scented soap and warm water for vulva, Lactobacillus for internal balancing … so many companies make millions and just investigating Simple Solutions can work wonders
I love the Monistat vulva wash. It has boric acid. I try not to promote products because I am not an MD. Thanks for giving it a doctor stamp of approval.
You have the talent to make a serious subject matter entertaining. Thank you; and now I can pass along these ridiculous marketing schemes to my 18 year old granddaughter. ☺️
Like your ear, dont stick anything in it but your elbow.