Vagina audiobook cover - A Re-education

Vagina

A Re-education

Lynn Enright

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Health & NutritionSex & Relationships

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Vagina
Education & Ignorance+
True Anatomy+
Pleasure & Orgasms+
Medical Bias & Pain+
Stigma & Societal Control+
Aging & Inclusivity+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
According to feminist psychologist Harriet Lerner, what is the consequence of habitually using the word 'vagina' when referring to the 'vulva'?
  • A. It simplifies anatomical education for children and makes the topic less taboo.
  • B. It is a form of 'psychic genital mutilation' that reduces a woman's sexuality to a hole.
  • C. It empowers women by reclaiming a historically clinical and patriarchal term.
  • D. It accurately reflects the internal, hidden nature of female sexual pleasure.
Question 2 of 8
How does the sex education curriculum in the Netherlands differ from the standard approaches in the US and UK, according to the text?
  • A. It focuses strictly on abstinence until marriage, which paradoxically results in lower pregnancy rates.
  • B. It is sex-positive, begins at age four, and results in teenagers having sex later in life.
  • C. It exclusively teaches about contraception and the biological mechanics of pregnancy to avoid moral debates.
  • D. It separates students by gender to discuss anatomy, puberty, and pleasure in private settings.
Question 3 of 8
What is the biological reality of the hymen for most women?
  • A. It is a taut, pierceable membrane that seals the vaginal opening until first intercourse.
  • B. It is a thick biological barrier designed to protect the internal reproductive organs from infection.
  • C. It consists of thin folds of mucous membrane that usually form a crescent-shaped crown or ring.
  • D. It is a specialized muscle that expands and contracts during the menstrual cycle.
Question 4 of 8
What motivated Australian urologist Helen O'Connell to research the true anatomy of the clitoris in 1993?
  • A. She noticed that immense care was taken to protect male sexual function during prostate surgery, but women were not afforded the same care during pelvic surgery.
  • B. She was commissioned by the Australian government to rewrite the national sex education curriculum to include female pleasure.
  • C. She wanted to find scientific evidence to support Sigmund Freud's theories about the clitoral versus vaginal orgasm.
  • D. She was trying to find a surgical cure for premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) by mapping nerve endings.
Question 5 of 8
Why has the 'vaginal orgasm' historically been idealized over the clitoral orgasm in Western culture?
  • A. Because scientific studies show that 95 percent of women can only reach orgasm through penetrative sex.
  • B. Because Sigmund Freud labeled the clitoral orgasm as 'immature,' a view that aligned well with patriarchal values focusing on penetrative intercourse.
  • C. Because modern neurological studies have proven that vaginal orgasms release significantly higher levels of endorphins.
  • D. Because the clitoris was completely unknown to science and medicine until the late 20th century.
Question 6 of 8
What does the text highlight as a major issue regarding the medical treatment of endometriosis?
  • A. It is usually diagnosed within weeks, but the necessary treatments are prohibitively expensive for most women.
  • B. It takes an average of seven to eight years to be diagnosed because women's pain is often dismissed or not taken seriously.
  • C. Doctors overprescribe addictive painkillers for it rather than recommending necessary, curative surgeries.
  • D. It is a psychosomatic condition that primarily affects 'anxious perfectionists,' making it impossible to treat medically.
Question 7 of 8
Why have multiple medical trials for male hormonal contraception been repeatedly halted?
  • A. Because the drugs were found to permanently lower male sperm counts worldwide.
  • B. Because men complained about experiencing the exact same side effects that women regularly endure on hormonal birth control.
  • C. Because they were found to be completely ineffective at preventing pregnancy compared to female contraception.
  • D. Because religious organizations heavily lobbied against their development and distribution.
Question 8 of 8
According to the text, why is it important to remember that 'not all girls and women have a vagina – and not everyone with a vagina is a girl or a woman'?
  • A. Because menopause affects both cisgender men and women equally, altering their biological structures.
  • B. Because gender dysphoria affects trans people differently, and many trans people choose not to have full gender-confirmation surgery.
  • C. Because the term 'woman' was created by male-dominated medical institutions in the 19th century and lacks biological meaning.
  • D. Because the biological differences between male and female reproductive systems have been proven to be a myth.

Vagina — Full Chapter Overview

Vagina Summary & Overview

Vagina (2019) aims to offer a greater understanding of the female sex organs, which have been misunderstood and neglected by science, education, and culture at large. From debunking the persistent myth of the hymen to exposing the economic and social forces that make getting your period even more of a nightmare, Lynn Enright explores and illuminates everything we weren’t taught about women’s sexual health.

Who Should Listen to Vagina?

  • People with vaginas
  • Those seeking a deeper understanding of women’s sexual health
  • Anyone interested in learning about positive sex education

About the Author: Lynn Enright

Lynn Enright is an Irish-born, London-based journalist. Her work has appeared in Vogue, the Independent, BuzzFeed, the Guardian, the Irish Times, Elle, the London Evening Standard, and the Financial Times.

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