Words matter. When your native language literally labels a part of your body as "shame," it changes how you walk through the world.
For generations, Dutch speakers have referred to the labia as schaamlippen. Translated directly, it means "shame lips." It is not an isolated linguistic quirk either. The Dutch language is riddled with prefixes of embarrassment. Pubic hair is schaamhaar, the pubic bone is schaambeen, and the entire region is tucked away under the umbrella of schaamstreek. Read more on a connected topic: this related article.
That systemic embedding of guilt into basic human anatomy has finally hit a breaking point. Activists, feminist groups like Dolle Mina, and public campaigns like Schaamteloos pushed back. Their target was simple: change the lexicon. Their victory came when the defining Dutch dictionary, the Dikke van Dale, announced the inclusion of a brand-new term alongside the old one: vulvalippen.
Why does a dictionary update matter so much? Because changing how we talk about reproductive anatomy shifts public health outcomes. More analysis by Psychology Today explores related perspectives on the subject.
The Hidden Weight of Medical Shame
Language shapes how people perceive their own physical form. If you grow up hearing your body described through the lens of impropriety, you internalize that messaging. You hesitate to bring up medical concerns during doctor visits. You avoid routine screenings out of a misplaced sense of embarrassment.
Medical avoidance is not a minor inconvenience. In healthcare systems across Europe and North America, embarrassment remains a primary driver behind missed cervical screenings and delayed diagnoses for reproductive health conditions. When patients do not have neutral, clinical words to describe their bodies without feeling awkward, they stay silent.
Activists fighting for the adoption of vulvalippen pointed out a glaring double standard in the old Dutch vocabulary. Everyone has a pubic bone and a pubic area. Only half the population has labia. Yet, the burden of linguistic "shame" fell disproportionately on female anatomy. Fixing this imbalance is a necessary step toward body neutrality.
Learning From International Language Shifts
The Netherlands is not acting in a vacuum. Other European countries have tackled similar linguistic baggage in recent years.
In Germany, campaigners launched petitions to replace Shamlippen with Vulvalippen, arguing that the traditional term reinforced a sense of bodily anxiety among young women undergoing puberty or medical exams.
Sweden tackled a different myth in 2009. The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education successfully updated the word for the hymen. The old term, mödomshinna, translated roughly to a "virginity membrane," which implied an anatomically incorrect seal that broke permanently. They replaced it with slidkrans, meaning "vaginal corona." This more accurate description helped health educators dismantle persistent myths used to police female sexuality.
Words dictate clinical reality. When medical professionals, school textbooks, and health brochures use accurate terminology, patients feel validated rather than judged.
What You Can Do to Normalise Better Anatomy Terms
You don't need to wait for a dictionary update to change how you talk about health. Small shifts in everyday vocabulary create ripple effects in homes, classrooms, and doctor's offices.
- Ditch euphemisms with children: Teach kids proper anatomical names early. Using correct terms removes the aura of secrecy and weirdness that surrounds growing bodies.
- Support inclusive healthcare: If you work in health or wellness, audit your intake forms and pamphlets. Ensure your language relies on clinical accuracy rather than outdated cultural slang.
- Pay attention to media framing: Call out sensationalized or stigmatizing language when you see it in pop culture or journalism.
Language is fluid. It evolves because people refuse to accept old habits that no longer serve them. By swapping out terms rooted in embarrassment for ones rooted in biology, we make room for actual health literacy. Stop apologizing for anatomy. Use the right words.
