Your Cervix Is Beautiful, according to this organization
Have you ever wanted to see just what your stomach looked like? Or your heart? Or liver?
What about your cervix?
Not a lot of people know about the fundamental functions or appearance of their reproductive organs — I didn’t know what a prostate did until I was well into college, knowing until then only that it was something that can end up cancerous. Unlike the digestive system, and the circulatory system, or even the nervous system, rarely do we get briefed on the inner workings of the reproductive system beyond the function of the sperm and the egg (if that at all).
The cervix is one such organ that people may have never seen. In some circles, it is viewed like the prostate: generally something that exists gives you cancer, though people tend to face more shame over cervical cancer than prostate cancer. The cervix, though, is one of a number of important organs that make up a female reproductive system. And, like the vulva, it is something one can see externally with a little effort.
The Beautiful Cervix Project aims to give people a space to share photos of their cervixes online, in various stages of life. Anyone interested in seeing their own can purchase a self-exam kit containing a speculum, hand mirror, flashlight, and lubricant. They also offer information on fertility, birth control, menstruation and ovulation on their website, going as far as answering comments personally.
In addition, the group has partnered with a feminist network of educators called the Shodhini Institute to host workshops on uterine health and bodily autonomy. They also offer links to books and other organizations that deal with cervical health.
So if you’ve ever wondered what a cervix looks like, how it functions, or what it even is in the first place, click through to the Beautiful Cervix Project. A friend of mine said it was one of the best things she’d ever done.
Age: 20 School: University of Alabama Major: Journalism/History Hometown: Harvest, AL Favorite writer: Don’t have one. Love them all. Favorite sex scene from a movie/TV/book: …
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