All too often we hear negative things about women’s genitals: middle-school boys making “vaginas smell like fish” jokes, feminine-hygiene ads that suggest
women don’t smell “fresh,” or advertisements for surgeries that make us question whether we look all right down there. We decided that more women—
including us— could benefit from talking about the things they like about their genitals.
In a recent study, we asked women, “What do you like about your genitals?”
Hundreds of women responded. Although some women said that they didn’t really like their genitals, many were very specific about the things about their lady parts that make them feel happy, aroused, or grateful.
Here is a sampling of what they had to say:
“They’re absolutely beautiful! One labia is slightly longer than the other and folds over the shorter one, and I have slight freckling on my outer labia.
They are a wonderful colour, and are very, very responsive.”
“They bring me tremendous pleasure and have participated in giving birth to my two children.”
“That they’re my own and unique; that they easily respond to sexual stimulation; that they will one day function in helping to create life; that they look hot; and that they’re what make me a woman.”
“I like the look and colour of my labia, the fullness of the outer labia, and the positive way they respond to sexual stimuli.”
“EVERYTHING! The pleasure they bring me, their uniqueness and beauty, their potential for new life (literally and figuratively), their sensual smell, the way they react to stimulation.”
“I like that I am a woman and mine are slightly different from everyone else’s. I like that their exact appearance is something I only share with my partner. I think the size/shape/color of every part is just adorable.”
“The uniqueness of the scent. One of my lovers said I smelled earthy and I liked that. I’m also in awe of the way they open up when I’m making love.
And I love that my daughter came from them and through them.”
“They bring great sexual pleasure, they feel warm and smooth, they remind me of my womanness, and I really like the smell when I touch myself and bring my finger to my nose.”
“They are strong (I work my Kegel muscles), they are neat and comfortable (I keep the hair trimmed so it doesn’t catch on underwear and hurt me), they give me a lot of pleasure with a sexual partner or my vibrators.”
“I have learned to like the appearance of my vulva more so now than when I was younger. I love how I maintain them, Brazilian waxing every six weeks. I actually love that my partner loves my labia.”
“I like the way my genitals look, feel, and smell. I look at my vaginal area
often with a mirror, and I do it because I enjoy knowing what it looks like. I also love that it feels so good when touched, and that it helps me have orgasms.”
“I like that they give my husband and me pleasure and that they helped make and deliver my son.”
“Sometimes the smell, I like that guys like them, I like that they give me pleasure, I like that they’re mine.”
“I like that they are healthy. I like that they feel good. I like that my inner labia hang down a bit; I think it is mature and sexual. Men like it. I like the colors and textures. I even like the smell.”
“They give me good feelings. They are luscious and voluptuous. They smell and taste good. They birthed a baby.”
“All the different colors (pinks, browns), the shape of the labia, the fluids, the smell, the softness, the pleasure they give me (and sometimes others), one special birthmark.”
“They can be fun to play with.”
“Hmm, haven’t really thought about this question before. I guess not much.”
“They’re very sensitive! At least the clit is. I like how everything neatly protects itself, like how the labia is all closed up, and then there are flaps over the clit as well. The hair is pretty cool; I’ve tried different things like shaving and whatnot.”
“Is it bad to say everything about them? I like that I have strawberry blonde pubes—I like the size, length, etc., of my lips, I love my clit and hood (which I want to pierce eventually).”
“It is very hairy, I like to stroke my genital hair.”
“That they were a part of the creation of my children. That they are unique.
That they are powerful.”
“They’re very neat ‘the perfect pussy’ as depicted in porn.”
“They make me feel good they can bring forth life. They are a source of oppression, and while oppression sucks, the fact that so much effort is expended on controlling women’s genitals suggests that they’re pretty important.”
“I like . . . everything about my genitals? Except maybe that my vagina is quite small so I can’t use some of the sex toys I own—and that’s not really something I dislike so much as a vague annoyance. Also, my clitoris is AMAZING. Orgasms— mine being directly related to my genitals—are amazing. I also like how they look, feel, and taste (though I’ve only been able to taste second-hand), so in short? Everything.”
“Nothing.”
“I like the pleasure they give me. I like the anatomical complexity and the wonder I have from having a clitoris which doesn’t seem to have any purpose in the evolutionary sense, but being an organ of pleasure. I like all the orgasms I can have.”
“I like that inside my vulva is red but on the outside it’s tones of brown/black. I also like the smell sometimes. I like my genitals a lot when I’m aroused and my pussy lips get all full and plump. I really love how everything down there feels when I’m really wet, like after I’ve cum. I also like, when my finger is inside myself, to feel myself cum really hard—I really like the feeling of the contractions and the super slick cum.”
“My pubes are awesome and they are very very sensitive, which sometimes I don’t like too.”
“I am pretty tight, I like that. I also like that my clit is well hooded and not out in the open. It’s wrapped like a present.”
“That they cause such pleasure. I like how it looks. I am very happy with my vagina. Looking forward to pushing a baby out through my vagina someday.”