FAQs

We understand the frustration about the frequent misuse of the word "vagina" when people mean "vulva". If you're annoyed by this, you're in the minority of people who are familiar with the word "vulva" and what it means. That's the level of awareness we're working with.

The truth is there's no single appropriate word we could use which describes vaginas, vulvas and the internal gynaecological anatomy, and encompassing everything we do. We're not just about one single part of the anatomy, or one single function of the anatomy. The closest word is "cunt", and we're already struggling with spam filters! Plus, if we were the Cunt Museum, we'd get mixed up with German art museums.

Vagina Museum isn't the perfect name which captures our entire area of interest either, and we recognise that. But we chose it because we want to meet people where they are. Even though there's an awful lot of people who can't label it on a diagram, most people are familiar with the word "vagina". They know roughly what a vagina is, and where it is, and in knowing that, have an idea about what we're a museum of. And once you've engaged with us, coming for the word they know and staying to learn more, our visitors emerge knowing more about vaginas, vulvas and the gynaecological anatomy. And that equips them with the ability to be pedantic about the name Vagina Museum. We embrace that.

The aim of the Vagina Museum is to destigmatise the vagina, vulva and gynaecological anatomy. Through destigmatisation comes empowerment for all people with vulvas.

Perhaps the reason you are asking this is because feminism has fought very hard to have women viewed as something other than sex objects or baby vessels but rather as people. Objectification of women is wrong. But for many people, their vagina is a part of their identity and directly affects their lives. It is one part of a greater whole that makes the person. By shutting down discussions about vaginas, it makes it difficult to address issues that are directly related to them like FGM and sexual violence. That must end and the first step is by acknowledging that vaginas exist and they deserve respect.

We believe that defining women by anatomy, as so many patriarchal institutions have done before, would be trans-exclusionary. When we're talking about women, we say "women", and when we're talking about vaginas, we say "vaginas".

We are committed to being gender-inclusive and if you think we've slipped up please contact us so we can correct it as best we can.

Why isn't it called the vulva museum?

Are you defining women by their vaginas?

Can the museum come to us?