First, nothing is wrong with you, and this is a very valid question!
Something important to know is that genitals have an incredible amount of diversity. Media and the social world often portray genitals as a binary – “vulvas/vaginas look like this for women” OR “penises look like this for men.” However, what we know about humans is that no two people look exactly alike, and that goes for genitals as well! So if you are feeling like your genitals don’t look how they are “supposed to” as a woman, know that it is likely that they are normal! If you’d like to see some of this diversity, @the.vulva.gallery provides excellent illustrations of the diversity of vulvas in humans.
Knowing this, there may be a couple of situations to speak with a trusted adult or health care provider (HCP) about the discomfort around your genitals.
- If your genitals cause pain or you feel like you can’t wear clothes or bathing suits comfortably, it’s worth meeting with a health care provider (HCP) to discuss your concerns.
- You may have heard the term “gender dysphoria.” This is a term used for when people feel uncomfortable in the gender they are living in. For some people with gender dysphoria, they may also experience discomfort with their genitals because they don’t feel in alignment with their gender. Exploring gender is a healthy and normal part of growing up into adulthood so it is okay to think about this if it is on your mind!
Lastly, an health care provider (HCP) can help guide the conversation about any possible medical care that could address your specific discomfort or concerns – that’s why we call this kind of medical care, gender affirming care, because the goal is to help folks feel good in their body whether they are transgender, cisgender, nonbinary, or more!”
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