As a gynaecological cancer surgeon, I am pleased to see some myths about vulvas and vaginas being busted (Everything you ever wanted to know about vaginas … but were too afraid to Google, 2 November). However, it’s disappointing that you used pictures of vulvas, while only using vaginas in the title, thereby undermining myth No 1 in the article (that the vagina is the name for whole genital area). It would also have been helpful to encourage people to check their vulvas, to get used to their normal and be aware of changes. Sadly, I see many women who present late with vulval cancer because they “didn’t know you could get cancer down there”.
Dr Jo Morrison
Taunton, Somerset
• It was great that you decided to demystify the vulva, but there was inherent misogyny in the piece. “The clitoris is a mini-penis” is something your author states is “true-ish”, but why is there an assumption that the male is the norm and the female is a deviant or different version? Perhaps the penis is actually just a (usually) slightly larger version of the clitoris?
BJ Woodstein
Norwich
• Your article says “Pelvic floor exercises stop you peeing yourself”. But for many women, menopause or giving birth leads to incontinence that can’t be solved by a soul-destroying hundreds of squeezes a day. Incontinence is yet another female-specific issue that is underresearched and underfunded by the NHS. I found temporary help with pessaries, which changed my life, but I had to try lots of different ones, at my own cost, before I found the best for me. We’d have far more women playing sports, working in physical roles, and just living an enjoyable life, if this was addressed.
Helen Adams
London
