'Making women feel seen': Why did the Dutch coin a new word for labia?
Author, Smitha Mundasad
Role, Health Reporter
Published 3 minutes ago
Reading time: 3 minutes
Can you imagine seeing the words "lips of shame" on your medical records? This word can also be translated as "sex lip", which is a traditional Dutch term for a female body part. But to some, it’s just one example among countless outdated and stigmatizing words.
Last month, the authoritative Dutch dictionary "Dikke van Dale" said that it would include the new name "vulvalippen" (outer labia) for the labia in its upcoming online supplement, and list it together with the traditional term "schaamlippen" (pubic lips).
Advocates across Europe have long called for a rewrite of the vocabulary used to discuss women's bodies, sexuality and health. Their common desire is to get rid of expressions that are often regarded as misogynistic or value-judgmental.
“Language shapes the way we see ourselves,” says Shari Klein, co-founder of the Schaamteloos initiative, which aims to reform words related to schaam.
"It's vital that people have a more neutral, anatomically correct word, rather than one that is associated with shame, whether intentionally or unintentionally," she said.
sex positive
Calls to replace the traditional term with vulvalippen are nothing new, but advocates say the word's inclusion in the dictionary may mean society is "finally ready for change."
Esther Van der Valk, a member of the well-known Dutch feminist group "Dolle Mina", said that this is also about positive attitudes towards sex and reducing body shaming.
The next step in the initiative is to persuade doctors and government officials to use the term vulvalippen in leaflets and consultations.
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Ton den Boon, editor of the Dikke van Dale dictionary, said the inclusion of "vulvalippen" (vulvalippen) was justified because the word's use in the language has become increasingly established and increasingly common in the media, biology textbooks, medical promotional materials, and even in the field of veterinary medicine.
However, it remains to be seen whether the term will be widely adopted.
There are other Dutch words for both men and women that may have similar meanings, such as "schaamhaar" (pubic hair, also literally "hair of shame"), "schaambeen" (pubic bone, also literally "bone of shame"), and even "schaamluizen" (literally "lice of shame"), which is used to refer to pubic lice.
Critics point out, however, that changing a word may not necessarily change people's lives.
The initiative is reminiscent of similar actions in Germany. In 2018, journalists Gunda Windmüller and Mithu Sanyal launched a petition calling for "Schamlippen" (lips of shame) to be changed to "Vulvalippen" ("outer labia").
Windemüller said she was prompted to take action after a gynecologist told her about the shame some women feel when talking about their bodies and undergoing medical tests.
She said that while writing about it, she found she couldn't even mention the anatomical name of the body part without using words that connoted "shaming."
Although "vulva labia" has not yet been included in the German dictionary, Windmuller has noticed that the word is starting to appear in everyday conversations, school textbooks and women's magazines.
She hopes that the Dutch approach this time will inspire more support in Germany.
"Hymen"
Similarly, in Sweden, following a campaign in 2009, a new word "hymen" was added to the academic lexicon.
The Sexuality Education Association (RFSU) believes that the traditional term "mödomshinna" (which can be translated as "maiden membrane" or "hymen") is anatomically inaccurate and does not help dispel the myths surrounding the hymen and virginity.
The new word "slidkrans" can be translated as "vaginal crown", reflecting that the hymen is usually a ring-shaped fold of tissue, rather than a membrane that only breaks once.
"With a new word, we can challenge myths that try to control women's sexual autonomy and freedom," said RFSU's Sonja Ghaderi.
Gadry said vaginal crowns were particularly popular among health care professionals and adolescent clinics, but she added that misinformation persisted, highlighting "the need to change social constructs."
In the UK, feminist podcast host Nicola Denson-Elliott launched a petition calling for the current word hysterectomy to be changed to uterectomy (literally "uterine removal").
She, like other advocates, believes that "hysterectomy" is linguistically related to "hysteria" (hysteria). Hysteria was once regarded as a disease of excessive emotional excitement in women. She wanted a more "anatomical term" instead of a name "associated with emotions".
The petition calls this "medical misogyny" and says: "Women deserve terminology that respects them."
"Judgemental words"
Linguistics researcher Dr Beth Malory said any changes would need to be researched first.
"Will people understand what 'uterectomy' means? Would it be better to just say 'removal of the womb,'" she said.
New words cannot be ambiguous, so it is important to review the entire terminology system to avoid confusion, she said.
Mallory also studies language related to pregnancy and miscarriage.
One example mentioned in her study is "incompetent cervix" (literally "incompetent cervix" or "incompetent cervix"), a term used to describe a shortened cervix, which may increase the risk of miscarriage and premature birth. Women interviewed told her that the word made them feel blamed for the medical problem.
In 2022, the Royal College of Midwives issued guidance proposing some alternatives.
