Girls, Gays, and Theys: Get To Know Your Bodies!

Girls, Gays, and Theys: Get To Know Your Bodies!

It's an indictment of the British education system that so many young people are brought up not knowing about their own anatomy. 

In my school, we didn't even have the 'period talk', let alone any lesson or formal education about sex and the 'female' anatomy. We were left floundering in the wind, turning to TV and other forms of media and popular culture to teach us about our growing bodies. It's no surprise that so many of us still hold misconceptions about our health and sexuality even in our adulthood. Who was there to tell us otherwise?

It's this lack of knowledge that has compelled me to write this post, as a way to hopefully educate people about their own bodies and health. After all - it's not just cisgender women who experience this lack of education. This post will be aimed at anyone with Female Assigned Reproductive Systems (FARS) - no matter their gender or sexuality.

It's time that we arm ourselves with knowledge about our own anatomy, fertility, sexuality, and more, so that we can make proper and informed decisions for ourselves.

1. You Are Born With The Most Eggs You Will Ever Have

Biologically speaking, your body doesn't produce any new eggs. It just releases the ones that you were born with.

In fact, the most eggs you will ever have in your life is when you are still a fetus: averaging 7 million eggs at a mere 20 weeks old. This number reduces to 2 million by the time you are born, and then drops off to around 3-500,000 at the point you start puberty (source).

This is a natural occurrence for a person with FARS, and isn't something to be concerned about. 

Of course, there are moments in your life where you are most fertile. Your 20s and early 30s, particularly. Once you reach the age of 35 it's estimated that your chances of conceiving after trying for 3 months is around 12% (source).

But, that does not mean that it is impossible. 

Each person with FARS will have different levels of fertility, so it's important to know your options. There are plenty of ways to conceive a child despite your age, and this is something you should look into.

2. Around 1 in 7 Couples Experience Fertility Issues (source)

Fertility issues are more common than you think.

Sadly, this can be quite a taboo topic in some cultures. People don't feel comfortable discussing their sexual health and aren't very open about difficulties they are experiencing with conceiving a child or their anatomy.

And it's this lack of openness and dialogue that causes so many people with FARS to feel alienated and alone.

Shockingly, 1 in 8 people who are aware that they are pregnant will experience a miscarriage (source). And this number is actually much higher when you realise that plenty of people aren't aware that they're pregnant and thus aren't aware of the loss. 

It's an issue that plenty of people with FARS experience, but isn't spoken about often enough. Meaning, that you shouldn't feel ashamed or embarrassed if it happens to you. 

3. FARS Issues Are More Common Than You Think

There are plenty of issues that people can experience with their bodies. Endometriosis, a condition that can cause heavy and painful periods, infertility, and bowel problems, affects 1.5 million people in the UK (source).

What's more, 1 in 10 people in the UK experiences polycystic ovaries - a condition that causes irregular periods, fertility issues, weight gain, and more. And, it's a condition that has no cure (source).

Knowing this, you should be mindful of the symptoms of these conditions and keep educated about your bodies.

If you think you're experiencing any of these issues, you should see a GP immediately. And, don't let yourself be ignored. I've spoken before about how female health is ignored, and this is also true of other marginalised communities. You know your own body best - don't let yourself be pushed aside.

4. Black Women/People With FARS Historically Suffer More

It's only a fact that has come to light in the past few years, and is still something that most people do not know, but the knowledge we have about fertility and health has come from the expense of Black women.

The 'Father of Gynaecology' - James Marion Sims - has been credited for many of the experiments and discoveries we have made about the anatomy of the uterus and its health.

However, this hasn't come without the pain and suffering of Black women - particularly enslaved Black women.

Sims regularly conducted experiments without anesthesia and pain relief on enslaved Black women in order to discover more about their health (source). In fact, many modern-day gynecologists believe that Sims' motivations for these experiments were not the pursuit of knowledge, but the love of experimentation.

What's more, very little has changed.

Black people are over 25x less likely to access fertility treatments, and even when they do, they are 7% less likely to be successful (source).

Black people with FARS consistently experience disadvantages when it comes to health and fertility, and it's a cycle that continues.

We need to recognise the racial disparities in health and treatment when it comes to People of Colour.

5. Miseducation Is a Persistent Issue

In a survey carried out by Vice where they interviewed 1,000 women, 44% of them were unable to identify the vagina on a medical illustration of the 'female' reproductive tract (source).

Shocking, right?

Almost half of the people with vaginas were unable to identify a part of their body that they likely use every day, and is just as important as any other body part.

As well as this, only a third of women were able to correctly identify all 6 parts on the diagram (source).

Meaning, that we need to educate people with FARS so that they are aware of their own anatomy and health.

How are people supposed to know if they're experiencing a health issue if they cannot accurately identify parts of their own bodies?

So many people experience undiagnosed health conditions and unfortunately do not know about these problems until it's too late - whether it's their fertility, or a disease, or any other condition.

It is only with education and information can people protect themselves and make proper decisions about their health.