Your 7 Biggest Vagina Concerns, Answered By Experts

Perceptions of what constitutes a 'normal' vulva and vagina are steadily being corrected, thanks to a string of new books, documentaries and myth-busting resources. But despite all the evidence that intimate organs come in all shapes and sizes, many women harbour bodily insecurities that aren't always rational. Responding to our recent survey of 3,670 women about their vaginas and vulvas, half (48%) said they had concerns about the appearance of their vulva (including the clitoris, labia minora and labia majora), 36% said they weren't happy with their vagina, while a third (32%) had been made to feel that theirs were abnormal.

When we asked them to get specific about their concerns, the largest proportion were worried about their size (64%) and shape (60%), with almost a third (30%) also worried about the colour of their vulva. Several other misgivings cropped up repeatedly in our survey – from skin tags to ingrown hairs – so we decided to put them to the experts. Are they really worth worrying about and if so, what should you do about them?

Ahead, Dr Leila Frodsham, consultant gynaecologist and spokesperson for the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine, and Dr Adeola Olaitan, UCLH consultant gynaecologist and medical adviser to The Eve Appeal (whose free, confidential Ask Eve service addresses women's gynaecological worries or concerns), address your biggest vagina and vulva anxieties.