Talking about vaginas continues to be influenced by fear and shame, it is difficult to leave aside learning that seems to be integrated into our DNA, although many of us are aware that social learning is responsible for feelings of fear and shame in conversations about our body, the mind seems to forget it most of the time.

It seems simple to grab a mirror and see your vagina, touch it and recognize what it is like. Know its color, shape and smell. Gynecology experts encourage it and feminists speak passionately about that beautiful experience. However, it is still difficult for most of us to simply let go of the prejudices learned in childhood and do it.

As we have learned from psychology, human beings are not rational most of the time, and changing a centuries-old experience is not an easy task.

It is hard but not impossible. Despite the great openness and new discourses about body acceptance, it is important to recognize that fear and shame continue to be part of the relationship that women have with our vaginas. Accepting it will help us look for strategies to change it, not simply ignore or curse an unquestionable truth for many women in the world.

To transform fear and shame into joy and love, knowledge is the first step. Giving light to the vagina will allow us to stop seeing a reality far from irrational beliefs and fear unfounded by ignorance. In this path entitled: recognizing your vagina, we will begin with the scientific perspective, the one that dominates the truths of the 21st century, and has given birth to many of the modern transformations. But do not forget that science, which for the most part has been linked to religion and politics, its impartiality is an illusion that we must not lose sight of.

What is the vagina for science?

The vagina is a muscular canal that connects the uterus to the outside of the body and is used for reproduction, childbirth, and the removal of uterine lining tissues during menstruation. It plays an important role in lubrication and sexual pleasure.

One of its parts is the vagina, defined as a set of external structures that surround the vagina and the female reproductive system. These structures include the labia minora and majora, the clitoris, and the urethra. The vulva also plays an important role in reproduction, sexual pleasure, and urine elimination.

Science has studied the functioning of the vagina and vulva and has conducted research on how they can be affected by external factors; How diet and lifestyle influence the health of these structures. Studies have also been carried out on how their health can affect the general state of the body, especially the reproductive function and quality of life of people.

Despite the above, the vagina has not always been defined as a muscular channel; in science there were different stages of the study of the vagina, which were influenced by the dominant beliefs of each era.

1. Antiquity: In ancient times, the vagina and uterus were seen as mysterious and supernatural structures, and magical and healing powers were attributed to them. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans had a basic understanding of the vagina and its role in reproduction, but they also believed it could play a role in the treatment of diseases such as cancer and asthma.
2. Middle Ages: During the Middle Ages, the vagina and uterus were seen as dangerous and demonic structures, and were associated with witchcraft and heresy. Doctors of the time had limited knowledge and relied mainly on the theory of humors to treat gynecological diseases.
3. Renaissance: During the Renaissance, the vagina and uterus began to be viewed in a more rational and scientific way. Doctors of the time began to use dissection and autopsy techniques to study their anatomies and physiologies.
4. 18th and 19th centuries: During the 18th (18th) and 19th (19th) centuries, the study of the vagina and uterus intensified and became more rigorous. Doctors of the time began to use microscopy techniques and conduct more systematic scientific research. James Young Simpson and Marie Stopes are two scientists who made important contributions to their knowledge.
5. 20th and 21st centuries: In the 20th and 21st centuries, the study of the vagina and uterus has continued to advance and become increasingly complex. Today's doctors and scientists use increasingly advanced techniques and tools to investigate them and have made significant advances in the knowledge of women's sexual and reproductive health.

Today, the vagina and uterus are the subject of study in a wide variety of fields, including gynecology, obstetrics, reproductive biology, genetics and psychology. Furthermore, their knowledge and understanding have had an important impact on politics and society, and have also contributed to the fight for gender equality and the right to reproduction.

As we saw, in the 18th and 19th centuries, James Young Simpson and Marie Stopes were an important part of the history of the vagina, but what were their contributions?

James Young Simpson was a Scottish physician and gynecologist who had a special interest in studying the vagina and its function in the body. Some of his discoveries include:

1. The vagina is a muscular canal that connects the uterus to the outside of the body and is used for reproduction, childbirth, and the removal of uterine lining tissues during menstruation.
2. The vagina plays an important role in lubrication and sexual pleasure.
3. The vagina and uterus have: a close relationship and are interconnected by a series of blood vessels and nerves, they are dynamic and changing, and their function and shape can vary over time and during the menstrual cycle. They can affect the general health of the body and be involved in gynecological diseases and disorders.

On the other hand, Marie Stopes was a British scientist and writer who made great proposals and hypotheses, some of which were:

1. The vagina is a key structure in reproduction, since it is the channel through which the exchange of gametes occurs during fertilization and childbirth.
2. Menstruation is a normal physiological process that occurs when the lining of the uterus is shed during the menstrual cycle. Menstruation is an indicator of a woman's fertility and can affect her health and well-being.
3. Women's reproductive health and well-being are important for their quality of life and their role in society. It is important to promote gender equality and women's rights to improve their reproductive health and well-being.

Today we learned that the vagina has an important role in women's health, it is a muscular channel that is part of the human reproduction process. Unfortunately, it has been associated with negative meanings such as demons and witchcraft, and has even been believed to have magical powers.

Now let's take a moment to reflect, why feel afraid of a muscular channel that is part of a woman's body? Why not talk openly about another part of our body? Think about it and tell us what you think and if knowing about the vagina helped anything in the relationship you have with your body or with the people around you.

 These articles may also interest you:

• Visits to the gynecologist: Basic information for taking care of your body
• Understanding the vulva: a guide to its structure and care
• 5 facts that every person with a vagina should know

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