Genitals in the Wild

It sounds like a bad joke or a porn movie: What do you get when you put two female sex researchers in a hotel room with pantyhose, sheets and a video camera? And yet: the answer is not what many people would expect. In fact, it’s this: a vulva costume. (Perfect timing, with tonight being Halloween and all – if you have two pairs of tights and some sheets or towels, you’re all set!)

Regular readers will know that as part of my research at Indiana University, I am interested in understanding more about people’s perceptions of women’s genitals and how these perceptions influence healthcare decisions and sexual behavior. Together with our team at IU, I study issues like women’s female genital self-image, pubic hair removal patterns, vibrator use, lubricant use, sexual behavior across the lifespan, and more. Continue Reading →

Although not everyone considers a woman’s uterus to be one of her “genitals”, some do (as it is one of her “generative” organs or reproductive parts). And as we invented the whole “genitals in the wild” idea here at MSP, we also get to decide what we’re going to include in it. Today, what we are including is this flower bed. Working at Indiana University, I have long appreciated the attention that goes into the flowers, trees and stone structures around campus (ours has been described as one of the most beautiful college campuses for good reason). This past year, however, I noticed that petunias seemed to be planted in more and more flower beds around campus and, interestingly, often in ways that remind me of diagrams of the uterus that use color coding to illustrate the endometrium (the lining of a woman’s uterus). Continue Reading →

Schweddy Balls: These moms say “repulsive”, and I say “conversation starter.” According to NPR, the conservative group, One Million Moms, is asking Ben and Jerry’s to stop making Schweddy Balls ice cream, saying that it is a “vulgar new flavor” that “has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something repulsive.” And to that, I say “No way! It’s a teachable moment.” When parents ask sex educators like me when they should give their kids “the talk” (meaning, a sex talk), it’s common for sex educators like me to say something like “Sex education isn’t a talk; it’s an ongoing conversation.” Continue Reading →

I was recently down in Provincetown for two days helping out as a volunteer for Family Week, and as I expected, I saw some pretty blog-worthy stuff. Here are a few photos you will love: Continue Reading →

It’s not quite a “genital in the wild” but tonight’s RueLaLa Sunday Styleathon included a Tibi bikini called the “solar eclipse.” Looks to  me like the vulva and bum got their own special bullseyes. What about you?  Continue Reading →