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The world's first vagina museum opens in London

From Cosmopolitan

The world's first vagina museum has opened this weekend in London's Camden Market and it looks pretty amazing.

The museum came about after its founder Florence Schechter discovered a penis museum in Iceland but realised "there is no vagina equivalent anywhere in the world." And you know what? It's about time there is.

The vagina museum's first exhibition, Muff Busters: Vagina Myths and How To Fight Them, will run until February and aims to tackle misconceptions around female anatomy, including issues of cleanliness, appearance, periods, sex and contraception.

The exhibition's curator Sarah Creed says the shows focuses on myths like pubic hair being unhygienic and the idea that your vagina should "smell like a bouquet of flowers," with Sarah's own underwear appearing in the exhibition to make a point about vaginal discharge.

The Muff Busters exhibition features models of tampons and menstrual cups, as well as LOTS of illustrations of vaginas and vulvas. The exhibition is open now and is free to visit.

Photo credit: ISABEL INFANTES - Getty Images
Photo credit: ISABEL INFANTES - Getty Images

The vagina museum was funded via a crowdfunding page after research found 65 per cent of 16-25 year olds "say they have a problem using the words vagina or vulva", and "more than 1 in 10 of 16-35 year olds said they found it very hard to talk to their GPs about gynaecological health concerns".

The museum also highlights mental health and the crisis of body image, after a "500 per cent increase in the number of labiaplasties on the NHS between 2002 and 2012", as well as delving into issues surrounding consent, intersectionality and the LGBTQ+ community.

Photo credit: ISABEL INFANTES - Getty Images
Photo credit: ISABEL INFANTES - Getty Images

"Our top priority is to fight the taboo that surrounds our bodies and provide a place where we can have an open and honest conversation," says founder and director Florence Schechter.

"Museums act as the custodians of history for society and give the public access to their history," she added. "Vaginas and vulvas have often been relegated to the backs of cupboards by curators because they are commonly deemed too controversial or difficult for the public."

The vagina museum also hopes that by tackling the taboos and talking about vaginal health, more women will attend their cervical screenings.

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