Read My Lips by Debby Herbenick, Vanessa Schick Page B

for her elbows, cheeks, chest, and legs, we feel that young girls should also know the words vulva, vagina, and labia, among others. In her sex-education work, Debby has given puberty talks to a number of girls and their moms (as well as boys and their dads). In these conversations, she has been able to teach girls the names of all their vulva parts, including the clitoris, urethral opening, outer labia, and inner labia. The girls have often been happy to learn that they have a body part that is just about sensation and feeling good (that’s right: without giving them more detail than they may be ready for, it is possible to teach even young girls about the clitoris and its purpose related to pleasure). They’re also often very curious to learn about periods in the years approaching puberty, and having a good sense of the uterus, cervix, and vagina can help them to have more clear conversations with their moms, aunts, sisters, girlfriends, teachers, healthcare providers, or other adult caregivers.
If she itches, get her help. Because young girls lack estrogen before puberty, they rarely have many vaginal problems, such as yeast infections. However, that doesn’t mean that nothing will ever bother her vagina. If a girl experiences ongoing vaginal itching, she may have a skin disorder affecting her genitals called lichen sclerosus. It can affect babies, children, or adults. Treatment (usually by a topical steroid cream) can often relieve symptoms, such as itching. Unfortunately, some healthcare providers are not familiar with this health condition and may mistakenly wonder if the girl has been sexually abused (sometimes genital symptoms are indeed a sign of sexual abuse). Itching can also be caused by bath products, such as bubble baths, which should be limited during childhood along with staying in a wet bathing suit or exercise clothes too long or not wiping after urinating.
Raising children or otherwise caring for them—whether as a parent, aunt, uncle, babysitter, or teacher—is important work. For more information about books on how to talk to children and teenagers about sexuality and genital-health issues, see the Resources section where we also list books for children to read by themselves or together with a parent or caregiver.
Get her GYN care. As girls become teenagers, it can be helpful to get them started with gynecological care. The ACOG recommends that sometime between the ages of thirteen and fifteen, young women can benefit from having their first gynecological exam if they haven’t yet had one. Depending on a young woman’s personal health needs, this first visit may only include conversation about menstruation and pubertal changes. The visit may simply help to get her comfortable with her gynecologist and the idea of a future gynecological exam. Then again, if she’s sexually active or experiences various symptoms, her healthcare provider may recommend a pelvic exam. Current ACOG recommendations don’t indicate Pap tests for young women until they are at least twenty-one.
    V-PROBLEMS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
    Vulvas and vaginas can be affected by a number of health conditions; some of these produce noticeable symptoms and others do not. Although we’ve mentioned most of these conditions, we want to briefly highlight them here (for more detailed information about vulvovaginal health and medical conditions, we recommend checking out The V Book and, of course, speaking with your healthcare provider). 1
    Although yeast, or candida albicans (the scientific name for a common type of yeast), are normally found even in healthy vaginas, over-growth of yeast can cause uncomfortable or even painful symptoms for women. As we mentioned earlier, if you suspect you have a yeast infection , we recommend checking in with a healthcare provider by telephone or in person for advice before treating yourself with over-the-counter medications, which can sometimes cause more harm than good.
    Bacterial infections and