SPREAD THAT VULVA LOVE

Whenever I hear stories about young ladies or even women who are unhappy about the look of their vulva, from labia size, color, hair, etc. it really reminds me how important it is to instill in younger generations that every single one of us was created to be beautiful in a different way. It’s so important to familiarize yourself with your body, and to be able to accept the way you look and find the beauty in yourself to realize that you don’t need to change for anyone but you. Spread that vulva love loud and proud.

F. - 

MY VULVA SHINES & I SHINE

I have been following this project for a long time and I want to say a big thank you for it! I'm a lesbian and I always knew that each vulva is special and does not look like any other, but I didn’t give it much importance. Thanks to you, I learned to notice the features and now I know my own and my partner's vulva in all the details. Moreover, now looking at the vulvas brings even more pleasure! As for my own, I realized that vulva is a part of my body equal to all other body parts, and I can do whatever I want with it. To remove my hair or not, to decorate it as I want. I have my clitoral hood pierced and wear a flower-shaped jewel, I like how it shines and how it surprises everyone who sees it. Like "wow, how does it stay there?" My vulva shines, I shine and this is an awesome feeling! My advise to everyone: love yourself, love your vulva and don't be afraid to decorate it with anything you want (and if you want, of course; you look great even without any special contrivances).

L. - 21 years old

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN THE WORLD

I'm 24 years old and I'm a virgin. And I like it. I've been with my boyfriend for nearly 5 years, and recently we got engaged. He has seen me naked and he taught me a lot about my body. He taught me to love my body. Next spring we'll have our wedding. I look forward to being his first. And he will be mine.

I understand everyone who already has sex. But I am proud and happy that we are waiting for our wedding and our first marriage night. I'm a little afraid too. But I believe it will be wonderful, because he loves me as I am, loves my body with its shortcomings. And about my vulva he says: It's the most beautiful place in the world.

H. - 24 years old

I AM STAYING STRONG

- Content warning: this story contains information about sexual assault and/or violence which may be triggering to survivors. -

A few years ago, I've been treated badly by a boy that I was seeing. Since that time, for already two years now, I'm suffering from very severe vaginismus. My vagina is marked by scars, which provokes a lot of pain. I have tried different forms of care and therapy, but still I don't succeed in having sex the way I'd like to - the pain makes me cry. All this makes me feel very sad, and it causes me a lot of psychological stress. I feel different from other girls, and I wonder if one day I'll be able to have pleasurable sex again. For now, I am staying strong and I don't lose hope. Thank you for having read my story and for what you do.

L. - 19 years old

A BLOOMING ROSE

One day when I was around twelve years old I decided to ask my mom if the skin hanging on my vulva was normal. I had always wondered why mine were so long but I never thought something was wrong with me. When I showed them to her, her reaction was something I was not expecting. She said, “if this wasn’t hurting you, I’d take you to the emergency room right now.” Of course, this reaction had me thinking something was wrong with the way I looked, that the ‘loose’ skin shouldn’t be there. She took me to three different doctors, all of them would tell me “it’s normal.” I believe after the first or second doctor my mom told me, “I’m taking you to see someone else for another opinion because that just doesn’t look normal to me.” At twelve years old, hearing that I didn’t look ‘normal’ and opening my legs up to these strangers (by strangers I mean doctors), damaged me. Yes, doctor’s told me that the skin was normal, but I needed a better explanation. Why couldn’t at least one of these doctor’s tell me that vulva’s with long inner labia were more common than I thought and that about half, maybe more or less, of the women they see in their office have labia’s just like mine. I went years feeling so embarrassed and ashamed of my vulva. I would try to tuck my labia in, I would cry myself to sleep, and I became anxious and overwhelmed by all these feelings. Come high school and all those feelings intensified. The first guy I slept with had a disgusted look on his face when he first touched me. I was so confused and embarrassed, I didn’t know how to react. All I wanted to do was hide myself as much as I could. All these horrible experiences led me to consider labiaplasty. My mom actually showed me pictures of women who received labiaplasties around the same time she was taking me to see all those doctor’s, so that had always been on my mind. But the more research I did on the matter, helped me learn that my labia’s are completely normal. I read what other doctor’s had to say, both male and female, I read stories from other women with similar experiences, and I found accounts like this one: The Vulva Gallery. The size and shape of our labia are all totally different and unique to every person. I have nothing to be ashamed of and I absolutely love my vulva. I’m proud to say that I feel like I have nothing to hide when I’m in bed with my partner and it is the most amazing feeling in the world. I've given birth to two beautiful girls and I love seeing how my labia changed after each birth. I read another post on here where someone said that her mom told her that her vulva was a “blooming rose”. I thought that was the most beautiful thing ever and I will one day tell my children the same thing.

R. - 22 years old

VULVAS ARE ROSES

As a child I was very lucky that my mother talked about how the woman’s body changes during puberty. That girls are roses and as they grow, they blossom and their flowers become more visible and start to unfold. Something we would never consider as “ugly” or “strange”, but exactly the opposite. Although I grew up with these wise words of my mother, this couldn’t protect me against the ignorance and insensitivity of people that made me feel uncomfortable in my body. So after becoming this rose, I’ve almost forgotten about these words.

It was not the porn industry that gave me the conception of “not being normal”. It was the movies on television and biology books at school, showing illustrations of vulvas with tiny labia and a slit between it. This kind of vulva looked very different from mine. It was uncommon for me to see adult females without longer inner labia and without a highly developed clitoral hood, because I have always thought that every woman develops in this way. At this point I would like to mention that of course there are women who do not have a highly developed clitoral hood and smaller labia, but this is just one shape out of millions of shapes and should not be considered as a general orientation. Actually, there should not be any model of a “typical” vulva, because this does not exist and that is why I consider The Vulva Gallery and the project so important.

I started to compare myself with women I saw on TV and in movies. To be honest, I started to believe that I am not a 100% woman, but something in between (intersex) because I thought it cannot be normal to have something so big between the labia majora and I haven’t seen this type of vulva among my friends in the locker room or in the shower. A few years later (I was about 15 y/o) I dared to go to a gynaecologist. He treated me as “normal” as he could and said that everything is okay with me.

Unfortunately this was not the end of the story. It was my first sexual experience with 18, when my partner said that I am strange “down there”. Today I know this was just a sign of inexperience and not my “strange vulva”. I was too young to defend myself, but I have forgiven him now, knowing that this can never get me down again.

I also shared my problem with one of my best friends and explained why I could never go to the spa without a towel around my hips. She looked very surprised and said: “How can that be a problem, everyone looks the same there!” I was shocked that not even other women know about the diversity of the vulva. I really hope that this will change over time and I think that The Vulva Gallery contributes a lot to it.

So what did I do to change my situation? One day I stood in front of the mirror and asked myself the question: Are YOU really not happy with your body? Do you really have a problem with your vulva or do you have a wrong conception of it because of a certain ideal of beauty and because of drawing comparisons to other women? And I felt very relieved as I recognized that I have no problem with it at all.

I am writing this text, because I don’t want any other girl in this world to feel like this, in a lifetime where we are young and healthy and should be proud of what we have.

I hope every person will be educated with the knowledge that every part of a human body is different and unique, like other body parts. Nobody would question, if a nose or feet look exactly the same. Some have bigger or smaller noses and so on, so why should a vulva look always the same?

If you feel sad, please think about the blooming rose. It is a piece of art, just like you, and it just gets more beautiful.

N. - 26 years old

IF YOU'RE CONFIDENT AND SELF-LOVING, THEY WILL LOVE IT TOO

I've been following and enjoying The Vulva Gallery on Instagram for quite some time now and a little while ago I saw a lovely portrait of a woman talking about how she was unhappy about her vulva ever since she became aware of it, it was so bad that she fell into a depression and even underwent labiaplasty, hoping that it would change her view and make her able to start loving the way her vulva looked. However it did not seem to work as well as she hoped and unfortunately she is still not as confident, even after surgery. This really clinged to my thoughts! I’ve come a long way from also being insecure about my body, but I‘ve never questioned the look of my vulva though, it was a part of me – I could be unhappy with most parts of my body… (which changed over the years as I got fitter, healthier and also super confident about every part of me) but never have I thought about being embarrassed about the way I looked „down there“. To be honest I wasn't even aware that this problem exists and I realized how lucky I should feel that I never had trouble accepting my vulva. This I want to give as a little positive advice: love yourself and treat yourself good, you deserve it. I don’t want anyone to be ashamed of something that brings so much pleasure. No matter how a vulva is shaped, looking at the gallery I find them all stunning and unique in their own ways. I also often read how women are embarrassed when having sex showing their vulva, fearing that their guy (or girl) might not like it – in my experience: if you are confident and self-loving they will love it too.

A. - 31 years old

IT'S MINE AND IT'S PRETTY

I would like to share my story about my vulva. I just recently at 41 years old came to love my vulva and labia. I hated the way it looked, I would always only have sex with the lights off because I was so ashamed of how it looked. I would see people on social media labia shaming - it made me angry to see this. One day I explored my whole entire vulva and labia and I started following a lot of pages about labia and realized my labia wasn’t the only one that looked the way it did. I embrace my vulva and labia now, it’s mine and it’s pretty. Some days I would just get a mirror and explore every crease and fold and tell myself “you’re body is beautiful who cares what people think”! I’m teaching my daughter the same things I learned at a late age in life, in hopes that she embraces her body and loves every inch of herself so that this next generation can fully understand the beauty of a woman’s body instead of shaming it.

C. - 41 years old

I FELL IN LOVE WITH MYSELF

When I was a young girl, I never gave much thought to my vulva. As a matter of fact, I didn’t care at all that I had one. It was just a slit I had between my legs that made me wear the puffy dresses and patent leather shoes my mother would buy me. But, as I grew and started to comprehend the complexity of womanhood, I was aware that that slit came with rules and expectations. Both that are incredibly hard to follow and live up to. I used to think that I was nowhere near to being like that cookie cutter mold imposed by those expectations, and I hated my body so much for so long because of it. I was embarrassed to have sex, mortified to show it for the first time to my gynaecologist, angry because it didn’t look like the petite ones I saw that one time I wasn’t supposed to. Then, one magical day I fell in love… with myself. And I finally understood that my slit, my beautiful vulva, was perfect just the way it was.

D. - 24 years old

I'VE FOUND A WAY TO APPRECIATE MY PERIOD

I would like to share the story of difficult beginning of the friendship between me and my vulva. When my body (concerning my vulva) started to slowly transform during my early teenage years, my mum told me that I would expect my period soon. I was one of the last ones in my class to still enjoy the time without this little "proof of adolescence" - yet waiting day by day to become equal with my female schoolmates and to finally see these little drops of blood on my panties. 

I was 13 years old when it came and I didn't wait a long time to announce the good news to my close (girl)friends with great pride - however quietly, so that no male would find out. That evening, before I went to sleep, my father told me that he was proud of me. Oh, how ashamed I was that he knew it. Why my mum just did not keep it for herself? 

The next morning I woke up in a pool of blood. I was so shocked, not expecting such a strength. I did not protect myself enough. I had to go to school, so the duty to clean my bed fell on my father. I could not stop to think about this dishonour. I still remember the white pants I was wearing that day during sports class and my schoolmates asking: "Did you get your period?" I ran to the changing room and saw a red spot on it. Could this day get any worse? 

I could have not imagined that something like this would come next month and then again and again. Why did I have to be punished like this? Why did I have to handle so much, and yet at the same time pretend that nothing was happening? I started to call it "the ugly thing" and I was praying for it to disappear. I would be crying every time I realised that it would come during a trip with my friends or family. I wasn't proud anymore, and I didn't to share with anyone that I was bleeding. And even though my mother was always there to listen to my problems, I didn't want to talk to her about it either.  I hated the menstrual pads, because everyone was able to see the wings each time I was changing clothes before the sports class. I didn't want anyone to see me throwing used pads to the trash either at home or at school. I felt dirty. 

It took me a long long time, but I've found a way to appreciate my period. Now I'm observing the pieces of my uterus lining when removing my cup. I find it beautiful. I'm praising my body, which is handling the pain. I'm not ashamed to buy the menstrual pads, even if it's the only item on my shopping list. But it has been a difficult journey. I'm still sometimes afraid and shy to talk about it in front of people, especially the ones who never had it. I'm still meeting people who think periods are disgusting and something to rather not discuss. I am dreaming of teaching my children (whether they are born girls or boys) about how beautiful and important it is. 

I love my vulva with all the processes that it concerns! And thank you for this amazing site that helps me understand it even more. 

L. - 25 years old

JUST LIKE SNOWFLAKES

Just like snowflakes, each vulva is different. Growing up I always thought my outer labia hung too low or stuck out too much. I used to tuck them in and try to make them look smaller, but through time I learned that no matter what I tried, it’d always look the same. I also have a prominent scar above my vulva from a surgery I’d gotten when I was younger. Instead of seeing that in a negative way, it’s a reminder for me that I am STRONG! Following this page has helped me to see my vulva in a whole different light, to love and respect it for all the amazing things it does for me. To see & accept the true beauty in not only my vulva, but my whole body inside & out. Thank you 💜

M. - 21 years old

STRUGGLING HAS MADE ME LOVE IT EVEN MORE

I was always comfortable with myself until I was in high school. I was with a couple of girl friends and we were searching images of vulvas online, and one of my friends pointed to a picture of one with a longer labia and said ‘Ew that vagina’s gross’. I quickly realized that that’s how my labia looks, and became self conscious and more aware that my vulva looked different than those girls online. Even though I was sexually active at that time with men and women, none of my partners ever commented on how my labia looked. I was still self conscious and even considered surgery to make it “prettier” and “normal” looking. As soon as I found out surgery can influence sensitivity of the clitoris, I knew that no matter how “gross” my vagina looked, I was never going to compromise sex for a “prettier” vulva. Since I found The Vulva Gallery, I have become empowered and learned to truly love my vulva - and I believe struggling to accept it has made me love it even more.

M. - 27 years old 

I AM ART

I’ve never hated my vulva. not even when I hit puberty and one of the labia minora grew so big it started to stick out a couple of centimeters. I've never had partners telling me that it was ugly, or made me feel uncomfortable about it. I’m lucky that way, I guess. However, it took me all my 21 years on this planet to look at it and find beauty. I've never really thought of vulvas as beautiful, maybe because we're not taught to (porn? partiarchy? sexism?), even after dating several vulva owners. One day I was talking about it with my gyno and she showed me an Instagram account, The Vulva Gallery. It’s very easy to look at a painting, whatever the subject of that may be, and think of it as art, or beauty - but it’s a lot harder to think of the subject as art. But the truth is, our body, whatever color, shape or form, is art. Having my vulva painted felt empowering, and liberating. It shows I am art, I am beautiful, my vulva is beautiful.

F. - 21 years old

SEEING OTHER FEMALE BODIES IN A NON-SEXUALISED MANNER

I feel that movements like The Vulva Gallery, that celebrate our body diversity, are essential. I would have never taken part in a portrait of this sort without the education and self-acceptance brought on by seeing other female bodies in a non-sexualised manner. Immersing myself in empowering female artwork over the last year has done more for my mental health and self-worth than anything before. 

I encourage anyone that thinks it might be fun to get involved - either by joining a movement as safe and supportive as this, or creating your own (even/ESPECIALLY if you’d never considered yourself artistic before!).

A. - 21 years old

BLESSED WITH LONG, DARK-COLOURED INNER LABIA

For years and years I thought there was something wrong with my body. My vulva looked nothing like the vulvas I'd seen in porn and their two perfectly defined "lips." Instead I was blessed with long, dark-coloured inner labia and a lack of education, all of which led me to believe I had a deformation. I refused to ask my doctor the questions that burned at the back of my mind, in part because I was self-conscious and in part because I was scared of what they'd say. Years later I discovered an art project, not unlike The Vulva Gallery, that made molds of many different types of vulvas. It opened my eyes to a world of diversity, and gave me the information I desperately needed to know. I wish I could go back in time and tell my teenage self that everything would be okay. I know now that you don't have to have a specific type of vulva to be beautiful.

R. - 20 years old

TAKING THE BEST CARE OF IT

I’ve been following The Vulva Gallery for quite a while, and I was struck by all the stories of wonderful women striving to accept and love their bodies and vulvas. During adolescence I didn’t have any feeling about what was “just my body”. But in the last few years (I’m 20 now) I began to be conscious about my body and, most importantly, my vulva. I started to really LOVE it and take best care of it, gifting myself the best period products, panties and sex toys. And I am proud. So thank you, for the chance you give us to display self-love and be an inspiration for those of us who are still fighting.

A. - 20 years old

WE SHOULDN'T BE MEAN TO OUR VULVAS

I remember when I was younger I noticed that I had a long labia but I never thought anything of it. One day I was with someone and he noticed it and asked what it was, he acted like he was disgusted and I was mortified. After that I would try to tuck my labia in between my lips so no one would see it. I didn't think that something like my vulva was something considered gross. It's been somethings that's bothered me for a long time, even today I have to remind myself that all of us are beautiful, even me. This page has helped a lot, showing me and other women that all of us are different but we shouldn't be mean to our vulvas.

E. - 23 years old

IT FITS ME PERFECTLY

This is my vulva. Compared to other shapes and sizes out there I've always thought that my vulva looks really simple and plain, not that interesting so to speak. I've been overweight my whole adult life and the pubic area is this soft lump of fat jiggling around. When I was younger I used to shave my pubes because I thought that was required and guys would like that. Nowadays I prefer to just trim them to look a bit lighter since I do have quite a heavy hair if I just let it flourish. I'm now actually on the process of losing weight and I can't wait to see how in impacts my vulva area. But despite all of this I don't need anyone to say that my vulva is beautiful as it is because I've been telling it to myself ever since I was a teenager. I've always loved the shape of my vulva inside and out and thought it fits me perfectly.

P. - 29 years old

MY PIGMENTED VULVA

I am 18 years old now and the last few years have been tough. I was always conscious about the pigmentation on my vulva. Because of it I couldn't wear swimsuits. I used to search the internet about it all night and, Google always told me that it's normal. But porn stars and models made be believe it was not. I used a lot of skin products, but they would just irritate my skin. Looking at your Instagram posts and reading the captions along made me confident about myself and now I accept my pigmented vulva just the way it is.

C. - 18 years old

LEARNING HOW TO LOVE MY YONI FULLY

When I was younger I never considered I might have unique labia minora. It wasn't until I started going through puberty and becoming more sexually active that I realized just how unique it was. Most of the time my sexual partners wouldn't say anything about the way it looked. I took special care to shave it bare almost every day from 15 years old until about 30. I had a partner who really challenged my views of my vulva, the hair and the size of my labia. She told me it looked like I had children, which I hadn't and if I had the size of my labia would have nothing to do with that. And she made it clear to me that she associated pubic hair with dirtiness. I didn't take what she said too personally and knew that she just hadn't seen a lot of vulvae. I made a point after this to explore and research the uniqueness of the female anatomy and to really start embracing my body hair and my voluptuous labia. Now more than ever I feel sexy and confident, with or without hair. It's been a journey learning how to love my Yoni fully. I may have off days but most days I feel beautiful. Your art and this page has really helped me with body positivity and has allowed me to connect with other women in a beautiful way. I enjoy seeing the diversity and celebrating my fellow empresses as they stand in their Yoni power.

K. -