A new study examined the terms women use to name their genitals and their associations with genital attitudes, sexual pleasure, and genital health behaviors across both non-sexual and sexual contexts. The findings of this study provide the first empirical evidence linking genital naming to women’s GSI, sexual-, and health-related well-being, affirming that the words women use to describe their genitals are far from trivial—they matter.
The study identified nine categories of genital naming: anatomical, vulgar, playful/childish, euphemisms, gender identity, clitoris, edible, nature, and receptacle. The results revealed that in non-sexual contexts 75% of participants used at least one anatomical term; however, euphemisms (14%) and playful/childish terms (15%) remained prevalent. Playful/childish terms were associated with a negative genital self-image, aspects of sexual pleasure, and genital health behaviors in non-sexual contexts, but had no such effect when used in sexual contexts. Vulgar terms such as “pussy” were linked to increased sexual pleasure, higher orgasm rates, and a higher desire for oral sex when used in sexual contexts. These findings provide preliminary evidence that the language women use to describe their genitals is significantly associated with various aspects of their health and well-being.
