Thomas More students step through giant vulva: 'Breaking taboo around female sex organ'

Students at Thomas More University College in Turnhout cannot ignore the display. Anybody who wants to enter the campus literally has to pass through the giant vulva. Of course, it is not a real vulva, but a sticker put on the large sliding doors at the entrance on the occasion of the International Day of the Midwife.

"The sticker looks like a real vulva," explains teacher Katrijn Hulselmans. "You see large and small labia, the clitoris and the entrance to the vagina. It is a playful way of drawing attention to this issue and we hope that we get people talking about the vulva."

Trashing a taboo

According to Hulselmans, there is still a taboo surrounding female genitals.

"We still find it difficult to talk about sexuality and intimacy. As a midwife, you have to be able to talk about sexuality without blushing. You can hardly look at someone's vagina while not even daring to utter the word. Compare it to a dentist avoiding the word 'molar'."

"Even among students, there are a large number of young women who have no idea what their own vulva looks like. Whereas it is so important to know your own vulva and how it works."

Fear and shame

Research shows that 15 per cent of women experience prolonged pain or burning sensations on their external genitals at some point in their lives.

"It is distressing how many women continue to walk around with these symptoms out of sheer shame or fear. We see women who experience pain during sex for years but don't know if this is normal or feel too embarrassed to seek help."

"Because the subject has been taboo for so long, we are also not used to talking about it. Nobody has any issue saying that our big toe hurts, but we are silent when it comes to complaints regarding the vulva. By putting the vulva centre stage, we want to encourage women to talk about it."

A Wall of Fame shows the incredible diversity of the vulva.