Women are often pressured by the perceptions set by media influences to have a “perfect-looking vulva”. Is there a difference between caring for your vulva and striving for the “perfect” vulva?

There’s definitely a difference between caring for your vulva and striving for the “perfect” vulva. Let’s take a moment and compare this to everyday wellness, where there’s also a difference between striving for the perfect body and caring for it.

The way we can differentiate between the two is to look at the actions, behaviours and feelings associated with each. When we’re striving for the perfect anything, there is usually a lot of comparison between what we have to an ideal state. And the feelings that usually come with striving and comparing tend to be more negative – lots of pressure, feeling inadequate, feeling like we need to do more, and to be different. You know that you’re striving for perfection when you’re starting to experience some of these feelings.

When we are caring for our own body, the actions, behaviours and feelings are different because you’re coming from a place of knowing what is best for you. For some people it feels more flexible, or creative, or lighter. It’s more of an internal exercise rather than looking outwards to achieve that perfect “it”.

Erin Chen
5 April 2019