Daily Dose: 111

Feminism in 3D: Defy, Disobey, Disrupt

Logo: Sheyam Ghieth

And if you think the older we get the more comfortable we are with talking about our vulvas, vaginas, pussies and cunts, you have not heard the silence about what happens to our genitals as we age, and specifically as we go through the menopausal transition. It is a silence that is compounded by ageism, and the shame and stigma that still surrounds talking about menopause and the ways it affects our bodies, especially our vulvas and vaginas. It is why I wrote Moisturize Your Vagina, and why I opened and closed my essay with the reminder: When you are shameless, you cannot be shamed. What, if not shame and ignorance of our genitals compounded by ageism, are the reasons that 68 percent of menopausal cisgender women surveyed by Bonafide have never used over-the-counter vaginal treatments, even though vaginal moisturizer can treat vaginal dryness and painful sex? Of the 58,703 people who have taken Kindra’s assessment quiz, 70 percent reported vaginal dryness as their top menopause concern, while 49 percent said painful sex was their top menopause concern.