British women are still clueless about their bodies because reproductive education is not cutting through

One in three women were unable to label the vulva on a diagram in a new survey, and one in five incorrectly labelled it the vagina

With public conversations about periods, pregnancy and the menopause at an all time high, it can sometimes feel like we’ve never been more aware of women’s health issues. But data exclusively seen by i suggests women are still worryingly clueless about their own bodies – and it could have serious consequences health consequences.

According to a YouGov survey carried out by gynaecological cancer charity The Eve Appeal, just 51 per cent of women can correctly label all five parts of their gynaecological anatomy on a diagram. Revisiting survey questions first put to the public in 2014, the Eve Appeal found some, but very little, improvement in women’s ability to identify the ovaries, womb, cervix, vagina and vulva on an anatomical diagram.

“We love to celebrate progress, and with some age groups it was fantastic to see anatomical knowledge increasing over time,” the charity’s CEO Athena Lamnisos tells i. “Overall though, the picture is pretty dismaying. If you don’t know what’s going on between your legs and inside your pelvis, and you don’t know your own normal, you can’t recognise when something isn’t normal for you and seek medical help.”

The difference between the internal and external genitalia (vagina and vulva) was a particular source of confusion, with one in three women unable to label the vulva on a diagram and one in five incorrectly labelling it the vagina. Awareness of other parts of the reproductive system was better, with 93 per cent of women identifying the ovaries – up from 78 per cent in 2014 – while 77 per cent and 83 per cent respectively could label the cervix and the womb.

It’s unsurprising that we’re collectively still so clueless. The Eve Appeal survey found that just 12 per cent of women learned about their gynaecological anatomy in school, while more than one in four (27 per cent) got their knowledge from the internet. A similar number (26 per cent) have used code names to talk about their bodies, and nearly half (46 per cent) of those surveyed said their parents didn’t make it easy to talk about intimate health issues.

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While in recent years, women’s health discussions have exploded across certain corners of social, digital and traditional media, it’s clear from this research that information is not yet penetrating widely enough. On social media in particular, accuracy and censorship are added barriers when it comes to accessing information. Users not only have to be savvy enough to filter out inaccurate health information online, they also have to navigate “sensitivity” blocks on the genuinely expert information that would be useful and informative. Just this week the Eve Appeal reported that social media giant Instagram had put a sensitivity cover over their post showing an anatomical diagram of the vulva, warning users that it contained “content that some people may find upsetting.”

The health implications of all this could be significant, particularly when it comes to the prevention and early diagnosis of cancer. The charity found that one in six women can’t name a single type of gynaecological cancer, while less than three per cent can name all five: womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal. Cervical cancer was the type most people were aware of – perhaps unsurprisingly, given recent campaigns on the importance of attending cervical screening – while many struggled to name more common cancers like ovarian and womb cancer.

Awareness of potential cancer symptoms was similarly concerning. People of all genders were surveyed, with just one in three (32 per cent) knowing that abnormal vaginal bleeding could be a symptom of womb cancer – the fourth most common cancer in women and people with gynaecological organs.

Similarly, less than half (45 per cent) know that bleeding after sex is a potential red flag for cervical cancer, and only a third are aware that persistent bloating is a key symptom of ovarian cancer. This lack of knowledge could, quite simply, be the difference between life and death.

“Early detection of these cancers means treatment will be more successful and the prognosis is much brighter,” Lamnisos explains. “If you’re diagnosed with ovarian cancer at Stage 1, 95 per cent will survive five years or more. However, the latest ovarian cancer audit showed that, in the UK, 13 per cent of those diagnosed with ovarian cancer died within two months. That’s because they were largely diagnosed at Stage 3 or 4. There is no Stage 5.”

So, what still needs to be done? Lamnisos and the team at Eve Appeal believe improving women’s health literacy and normalising correct anatomical language are key. “Having an itch on the vulva and in the vagina are two different things,” Lamnisos explains. “Being able to explain your symptoms accurately to a medical professional will help them know what investigations you need, and get the correct diagnosis and treatment for you.

“We want everyone to get to know their bodies and keep track of them. Tracking your periods and self-examining your vulva, like you might check your breast or chest, are great ways to know your normal.”

Recent changes to relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) – which is now mandatory in state schools, and will cover topics including menstruation and the menopause – are also cause for optimism. “It’s been a really positive step for RSHE to be made compulsory on the curriculum, but we need to make sure this information is taught without passing on shame, and in a timely and age-appropriate way,” Lamnisos says.

“A huge barrier in women and people with gynae organs knowing their body is the shame and taboos surrounding the conversation. We want to normalise the language around gynaecological issues – it’s just like any other part of the body,” she adds. “At Eve Appeal, we’re launching some evidence-based classroom resources later this year. If you address the stigma at an early age, when children first start learning about anatomy, it will pay dividends in terms of health literacy in the longer-term.”

While we know that huge progress has already been made in recent years, it’s clear that much more still needs to be done to address this knowledge gap. When it comes to our health, knowledge really is power.

Find out more at getlippy.org.uk

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