Article

The Sex Education You Never Received But Always Needed

Vulva, vagina, p🍯ssy — most women were never given the right words for their own anatomy. Where there is no name, shame becomes the name.

Stephanie Rae · August 7, 2026 · 2 min read

In this article

Most women were never taught the proper names for their own genitals. This is the anatomy lesson you should have had: what the vulva actually is, what the vagina actually is, and why reclaiming the language is the first act of liberation.

The word "vagina" literally only includes the internal part of your vagina. This leaves out a massive portion of a woman's genitals. And yet most women simply refer to their genitals as "vagina".

Additionally, beyond not being taught proper names for genitals, many women were taught nicknames such as cookie, hoo-ha, down there, etc.

This creates a stigma and internalized shame around our anatomy because where there is no name, shame becomes the name.

We wouldn't call our elbow a lollipop — so why make up nicknames and give the wrong terminology to our vulva and vagina?

The vulva

The vulva is the part of your genitals on the outside of your body:

  • ✨ This includes your labia, clitoris, vaginal opening, and the opening to the urethra (the hole you pee out of)
  • ✨ Does need proper hygiene care, but water and mild soap usually is all that is needed
  • ✨ Is full of erogenous and highly orgasmic pleasure centers

The vagina

The vagina is the internal structure of your genitals.

  • ✨ It can create its own lubrication when you're sexually aroused
  • ✨ Is full of erectile tissue that can expand to double its size
  • ✨ Includes the G-spot and cervix

Reclaiming the word

I also use the word p🍯ssy a lot, as that is all encompassing and it's a big reclamation of a word the patriarchy has tried to stain.

Reducing men, weakness and degradation to a woman's genitals is not only insulting to over half of the human race, but it's a micro aggression against our sexuality — and it shames women into thinking their p🍯ssy is not the sacred, holy portal to the divine that it is.

It's time to literally reclaim the anatomy of our bodies, by using the proper names and not giving power to slang terms any longer. 🔥

If you can't name it, you can't liberate it. 👑

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Written by

Stephanie Rae

Stephanie Rae is The Midlife Witch — a somatic sexuality practitioner and tantra teacher of nineteen years who helps women, men and couples stop abandoning themselves and come back to pleasure, voice and aliveness in midlife.

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