Orgasms,
Sexual Health And Attitudes About Female Genitals
An Indiana
University study published in the September issue of the International
Journal of Sexual Health found that women who feel
more positively about women's genitals find it easier to orgasm
and are more likely to engage in sexual health promoting behaviors, such as
having regular gynecological exams or performing vulvar
self-examinations.
"These are important findings about body image," said Debby
Herbenick, associate director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in
the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. "Our
culture often portrays women's genitals as dirty and in need of cleaning and
grooming. Some women may have had greater exposure to
such negative messages or may be more susceptible to their impact."
Herbenick's study created a scale for measuring men's and women's
attitudes toward women's genitals. Such a scale, she wrote in the study,
could be useful in sex therapy, in medical settings to help
better understand decision-making that goes into gynecological care and treatment,
and in health education settings involving women and
their sexual health. The study also found that men had more positive attitudes about
women's genitals than women.
"Women are often more critical about their own bodies -- and
other women's bodies -- than men are," Herbenick said. "What we found in
this study is that men generally feel positive about a variety of
aspects of women's genitals including how they look, smell, taste and feel."
Herbenick, also a sexual health educator for The Kinsey Institute
for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, offers the following
suggestions regarding the findings:
- Body image. Parents might consider how they can
help their daughters to feel more positively about their bodies, such as
by teaching them accurate names for their body parts, including their
genitals (e.g., "vulva" rather than "down there") and responding in
supportive ways to their self-exploration. "Rather than saying, 'don't
touch down there -- it's dirty,' parents might let their children know
that it's OK for them to touch their genitals, but in private spaces
such as their own bedroom or the bathroom," Herbenick said.
- Advertisements and marketing. Health educators
might consider ways that they can teach women and men about their bodies
in positive, sex-positive ways by openly discussing how some products or
marketing campaigns make people feel about their bodies.
The survey component of the study involved 362 women and 241 men,
most of whom were white/Caucasian and between the ages of 18
and 23.
"Our study builds on previous research that demonstrates that the
mind and body are highly connected in regard to sex," said Herbenick.
"When women feel more positively about female genitals, they
likely feel more relaxed in their own skin, more able to let go and thus more
likely to experience pleasure and orgasm."
The study was supported by The Joseph Miller Foundation.
Courtesy by
http://www.sciencedaily.com
|
