'Make women feel seen': Why the Dutch have a new word for labia

'Make women feel seen': Why the Dutch have a new word for labia

Shari Klein spoke at a recent march marking the new term

Can you imagine finding the words "shame lips" in your medical notes? The phrase, which can also be rendered as "pubic lips", is the Dutch term for a woman's body part. But for some people, it is simply one of many examples of language that is outdated and burdened with stigma.

Last month, the leading Dutch dictionary Dikke van Dale said it would add a new word for the labia, "vulvalippen" - in its forthcoming online edition - alongside the traditional term "schaamlippen".

European campaigners have long pushed for a rethink of the language used to talk about women's bodies, sexuality and health. What connects them is a wish to move away from words often viewed as misogynistic or judgmental.

"Language shapes how we see ourselves," says Shari Klein, one of the founders of the Schaamteloos campaign, which targets words containing "schaam" or "shame".

"It's crucial people have a more neutral, anatomically correct word - not a word that links to shame, whether consciously or sub-consciously," she says.

Calls to use vulvalippen are not new, but campaigners say its inclusion in the dictionary may signal that society is "finally ready for change".

Esther Van der Valk, who is part of the well-known Dutch feminist group Dolle Mina, says it is also about sex positivity and cutting body shaming.

The campaign's next goal is to persuade doctors and officials to use vulvalippen in leaflets and consultations.

Ton den Boon, the dictionary's editor, says adding vulvalippen is justified because it is becoming more established in the language and is appearing more often in the media, biology textbooks, medical leaflets and even veterinary medicine.

But whether it will be widely adopted remains to be seen.

Other Dutch words, relevant to both men and women, could carry similar meanings - from "schaam haar" (pubic or shame hair) or "schaam been" (pubic or shame bone) to even "schaam lice" for pubic lice.

However, critics argue that changing a word will not necessarily change people's lives.

The campaign echoes efforts in Germany, where in 2018 journalists Gunda Windmüller and Mithu Sanyal launched a petition to change "Shamlippen" to "Vulvalippen".

Windmüller says she was prompted to act after a gynaecologist told her about the shame some women feel when discussing their bodies and undergoing medical examinations.

While writing her article, she realised she could not even refer to anatomy without using the word shame.

"Vulvalippen" has not yet been taken up by a German dictionary, but Windmüller says she has seen it in conversations, school textbooks and women's magazines.

She hopes the Dutch decision will build support closer to home.

Likewise, in Sweden, a new word for "hymen" was added to the academic dictionary after a 2009 campaign.

The association for sexuality education (RFSU) felt the traditional term "mödomshinna", which translates as maidenhood skin or virginity membrane, was anatomically wrong and did nothing to dispel myths about hymens and virginity.

The new term "slidkrans" translates as vaginal corona - reflecting the fact that the hymen is often folds of tissue arranged in a ring, rather than a seal that breaks once.

"With a new word we can challenge the myths that seek to control women's sexuality and freedom," Sonja Ghaderi of the RFSU says.

Ghaderi says slidkrans is used especially by healthcare professionals and in youth clinics, but adds that misinformation still exists, highlighting the "need to change social constructs".

In the UK, feminist podcast host Nicola Denson-Elliott started a petition to replace the word "hysterectomy" (surgical removal of the womb) with "uterectomy".

She argues, as others have, that hysterectomy has linguistic ties to hysteria - once regarded as a disease of emotional excess in women - and wants a more "anatomically correct term" rather than one "associated with emotion."

The petition calls it "medical misogyny", adding: "Women deserve terminology that respects them."

Linguistics researcher Dr Beth Malory says any changes must be studied first.

"Will people understand uterectomy? Is simply saying removal of the womb better?"

New words cannot be ambiguous, she says, and it is important to examine the whole system so there is no confusion.

Malory also studies language around pregnancy and loss.

One phrase highlighted in her research is "incompetent cervix" used to describe the shortening of the cervix that can raise the risk of pregnancy loss and early birth. Women told her it made them feel blamed for the medical problem.

"Why do we need judgmental words like failure or incompetence?" says obstetrician Dr Brooke Vandermolen.

Even though they appear in medical textbooks, she says she has moved away from certain terms, including "failure to progress" - which describes labour not advancing as expected.

"Language is incredibly important and the words we choose can show recognition and make people feel validated and seen."

In 2022, the Royal College of Midwives issued guidance offering alternative phrases.

But Vandermolen says some traditional terms are still in use and still cause distress.

"I hope this change in the Netherlands sparks more conversations here about how we speak about women's bodies. What we say can have a lasting impact."