Aibu to think “loola” and “noony” aren’t words interchangeable with genitals?!

[Mightymelon]

And that cutesy words for your genitals help NOBODY AT ALL?

To cut a long story short - I’m friends with a girl, who has seen one of those posts on Facebook, about correctly naming genitals to avoid confusion when kids have uti’s or worse, have been abused.
DF mentioned that in this thread as well as the willy/mini/front bottom names loola and noony being used by children instead of vagina/ vulva and penis, and said she’d never heard of it before. Nor have I?

Firstly I would like to know if IABU to have never heard of these words?

SECONDLY I WOULD LIKE TO URGE YOU WITH EVERY OUNCE OF MY BEING TO TEACH YOUR KIDS APPROPRIATE WORDS FOR THEIR GENITALS SO THAT IF ANYTHING’s WRONG THE ADULTS WHO DEAL WITH IT (TEACHERS/CHILDMINDERS/HCP’s/THE POLICE) CAN DO SO WITH AS LITTLE TRAUMA AND FUSS AS POSSIBLE!!

nolonger
Also boys have less complex genitalia so less need for understanding of it earlier on.

It also means that ‘catch all’ words are much more definable, whereas women and girls have various aspects to genitalia that have their own specific words and functions.

Also every ‘catch all’ word for female genitalia is considered a really horrendous insult. Of course that’s a feminist issue it’s an example of language both dismissing us and demonising us.

Cross post Jacques.

Cunt was a valid, inoffensive word for centuries, irs only recently really we have demonised it. It’s not that the words don’t exist, it’s that they’ve all been demonised by modern language

Well, to be honest Camel, I do my best with my children, but I think spearheading the reclamation of the word cunt is beyond maybe even us.

When I was teaching once, some children collapsed into uncontrollable giggles because I mentioned a 'fairy' in the context of a mythical flying creature. I had no idea of their understanding of this word.

Similarly, people who use 'flower' - why would you do this?

My intelligent adult friend once surprised me by referring to her 'vajayjay'.

And I feel genuinely sorry for any female actually called Minnie, Milly, Tilly, Fanny. Their names have been stolen by people who can't bring themselves to use proper words.

Findo

Yes it’s probably gone a bit far for that. My point is that it’s not that those words don’t exist but more that they’ve been so demonised.

I would say ‘fanny’ Is less offensive?

We still haven't had an explanation as to how children using the correct terminology actually PREVENTS abuse in the first place.
The explanations so far have stated that it helps children to unambiguously describe abuse, that it helps flag abuse in the first place, and it helps prove what happened or secured conviction because it stamps out ambiguity.

In all of those explanations, abuse is already happening or has already happened. So I'm still none the wiser.

It's not enough to say "the statistics show it". You can do a lot of things with statistics, but any reasonably intelligent person wants to know what the statistics show, and WHY.
It could be that there is a correlation between correct terminology and less abuse, but that doesn't mean causation. I think it likely that parents who teach their children the correct terms for their genitals may also teach them about bodily autonomy, pants rule, saying no etc., and that this is really more likely to keep them safe than confidently using the word "vulva".

I also thought that what Graphista said was spot on.

Quite simply men are less likely to groom children who speak frankly and in an adult manner about their genitals.

The childish, secretive, toy nature of it all is a big part of the attraction for them.

My intelligent adult friend once surprised me by referring to her 'vajayjay'

Thanks to Scrubs I believe!

"I would say ‘fanny’ Is less offensive?"

You're right. I've always had a soft spot for 'fanny', as it were.

Of course it’s a feminist Izzy that all colloquial slang for female genitalia is considered too rude to say and hugely offensive to call someone.

This is ridiculous! The delightful children I teach call each other a knob, dick and sometimes a cock, as well as using the word twat etc. It’s not a feminist issue and people really need to get a bloody grip!

However, I do think using correct terms is helpful for children.

Of course women and girls not having the words to describe their own bodies is a feminist issue!!!

So many women on mumsnet confuse vagina with vulva so there's probably not much hope. So many women say they shave their vagina. Seeing as that is an internal structure then then this is impossible. You can, however, shave a vulva sewing as this is external.
My children know the correct words. Many adults don't.
Never heard of noony or the other one.,
I had a boyfriend once who called his penis Bob I think it's quite common for men and boys to give their penis a name. Weird but common.

I don’t think women shave their vulva do they? They shave the pubis?

The vulva is the fleshy, internal area where the clitorus and vaginal opening is

Literary that does really bug me - it's not just on mumsnet either, and I've often corrected people in real life and probably sounding insufferable while doing it. I do believe children and the adults they become should be knowledgeable about their bodies and be able to talk about them without shame or secrecy.

Of course women and girls not having the words to describe their own bodies is a feminist issue!!!
If that was in reply to me, my response was specifically and quote obviously to the poster shouting about feminism with regard to female genitalia slang being used as an insult. Male genitalia slang is also used as an insult therefore not a feminist issue.

The vulva is the external genitalia situated between the thighs. The pubis is the area over the pubic bone at the front. Both can be shaved.

*quite

The mons pubis and labia majora are part of the vulva - or so I thought?

I've often corrected people in real life and probably sounding insufferable while doing it.
You probably do!

Thanks for clarifying that I don’t shave any of it

Kappa, I wouldn't correct a colloquial term with an anatomical one - I love colloqualisms - but if someone says vagina when they clearly mean their vulva, I will say so. Partly because it is funny to watch people recoil a bit when you say vulva in a loud clear voice.

It's just a good word.

The point that is being missed the most, and the one that's most likely from my years of experience of working with children, is that the majority of children use other words to describe their bits even when they know the correct names.

I have looked after many, many children from birth to 15 and we have had very many fantastically hilarious conversations about bodies. Usually prompted by one of them having had a trip to the "life bus". I never shy away from their questions. They all, from the youngest to the oldest, know the correct terminology for their genitals. None of them use proper names when talking about them. They say "my bits" or "down there" or "my willy". All the children I work with now are fully aware of the pants campaign and are far more aware of their genitalia than the children I cared for in the past 30yrs.

I just don't understand why we get all funny about it - I wouldn't teach my kids that their elbow is called a 'bendyboo' so why all these twee cutesy names for anywhere else on their bodies?