Updated: Sept. 17, 2010

This article has moved into our Top 15 reads, presumably because of our Zestra articles. I just wrote an extensive answer to an intelligent comment to a male reader who challenged me that a female vagina can have sex at any time, whereas a man must have a strong erection to have sex. See Zestra | Media Censors Again Double Standard Female Sexuality.

Both assertions are wrong but represent widely-held views of sexual anatomy. I believe that the media’s refusal to advertise Zestra is directly tied to our inability to discuss the vagina in public. As the following article highlights, women can’t discuss their vaginas either — but for good reason.

Just reading the new articles about Zestra’s problems placing ads on TV, radio and Facebook reminds us that vaginas remain a verboten subject in American culture.

Updated: Feb. 23, 2010. Originally written Oct. 28, 2007.

We’ve made soooo much progress in 30 months:

1) San Francisco’s Stript Wax Bar is introducing the Vajacial, suggested for women who get Brazilian waxes.

“We developed the Vajacial to really address and treat the key needs of anyone who gets waxed,” Stript owner Katherine Goldman said in a press release. “Your ‘little lady’ will thank us!”

Personally, I’m thrilled my ‘little lady’ can get a Vajacial. Can my vagina come, too?

2) Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation now promises to tighten the walls of our vaginas. Dr. Lauri Romanzi, prominent reconstructive pelvic surgeon, urogynecologist and authority on vaginal rejuvenation, has joined More magazine’s “Reinvention Convention” tour, joining More Magazine’s editor-in-chief, Lesley Jane Seymour on the speaking tour.

I don’t mean to be a smarty pants, but reading the press release, I can’t tell if Dr. Romanzi is speaking about her noble work with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she conducted reconstructive surgeries for women; OR how women can get a like-new vagina with Kegel exercises (they work) or other services from The Perfect Phit; OR some other vagina-related topic from her book ‘Plumbing and Renovations’.

3) Labiaplasty has gotten a lot more popular in 30 months. It’s easy to be flip about labiaplasty, but these before and after photos from labiaplastysurgeon.com underscores that the surgery can be about more than vaginal vanity.

AlterNet blasts labiaplasty and these same photos to kingdomcum, suggesting that women should stop trying to look like Playboy bunnies. I’ll refrain from negative comments, because I admit that I’ve only viewed the surgery as pure vanity until this moment, and I’m more sensitive about these matters.

At least AlterNet calls a vagina a vagina and gets about 500 points for using the word.

My update concludes that while women are more engaged with our vaginas since I wrote my original post, we still don’t use the word that accurately and scientifically describes our gorgeous, female anatomy and pleasure center.

Knowing that I can be irreverent and full of wry, acerbic humor some days, I don’t find vajayjays funny. If American women were comfortable with our bodies and positive about our sexuality, then pet names would be fine with me.

The truth is that American women haven’t embraced our vaginas with the love they deserve. Hope springs eternal on my end.

4) Wait a darn minute. I forgot to tell you about Kady Gaga’s vagina up there at the top of the page. Gaga did appear at the UK’s Brit Awards last week, where she won 3 awards — none for her vagina, but hey whatever Goga wants, Gaga does. It’s all beautiful … well mostly.

Original Post Oct. 2007

I pride myself on being an in-the-know woman. I also admit to turning off the tube almost permanently, although it will be on tonight for HBO’s “Tell Me You Love Me.”

I don’t watch “Grey’s Anatomy” and I don’t even catch Oprah much anymore.

So here I am, a well-established lingerie, cultural trends and women’s lifestyle consultant, and I don’t know about “vajayjays”. Do you?

No Longer a Private Matter

Thanks to today’s “NY Times Style Section”, which is really spreading its wings these days, we now know that “vajayjay” is another word for vagina.

The word was used on “Grey’s Anatomy”, in an effort not to affront the Federal Communications Commission with too many references to women’s sexual anatomy.

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