This is awesome - some people are so creative. Such a clever line up of the most cute (and edible) vulvas I have ever seen.  By the way, if you are into all things Vulvalicious, then check out these amazing Vulva cushions.  These days you can find some really exceptional products with a Vulva theme.  There are cards, puppets, t shirts, purses - will someone please come up with a pair of shoes - jewellery and much more.  Check out this vulva shop.

 

 

There is even the knitted Vulva.  Thanks to yours truly.. I have been dabbling, playing, and vulvalising my evenings with a few playful and colourful blends. 

The Vulva certainly has many women celebrating the wonderment of this part of the female anatomy. There are many places on our planet that shows the feminine side with vulva-like similarities. 

At Glastonbury, years ago, I was taken with a rock formation in a garden that was ultra feminine in its design.  

Here is the photo I took all those years ago, when at Chalice Well.  The Seven Bowls flow into the Vesica Pool.  It is really beautiful.

Also when approaching Glastonbury from the southeast and the direction of Baltonsborough and Butleigh, many people have noticed that the side-view of the Isle of Avalon presents the profile of a giant Goddess lying down lengthways before them across the moors.

There is much to be said about the feminine form and yet only today, I received an email seeking my support in speaking out about Uzbekistan's President  who is forcing doctors to cut out women's uteruses without their knowledge or consent to promote "birth control" across the country.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has already publicly condemned Karimov for human rights abuses and this most recent assault on women's rights - a topic she champions - only ups the stakes.

Unbelievable that this dictator would destroy in women he does not even know, the very feminine organs that gave him life!!!  Unbelievable!!

There is a website with 3D animation of the feminine organs including various dimensions of the vulva.... take a look, it is rather intriguing.  Suffice to say it would be a bonus for sex education in schools to include the unique perspective of these images for explaining anatomy to the pupils.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many types of orgasm that women experience and it is not simply the vaginal, clitoral, G-spot type.  Being in touch with emotions can stimulate all type of feel good feelings within the body. Responding to the sensation of a hug, breath in the ear, the smell of the person you are with, the sound of their voice and yes their touch,  all conjure up delight and orgasmic pleasure especially in the brain!  The biggest sex organ of all.

It is sad to read that so many women feel they are missing out on orgasm, because of what friends allude to, what Cosmopolitan and Cleo say, as well as expecting some huge explosion to take place that carries them away into the land of orgasmic pleasure, that lasts for hours.  Believe me, it is not like that.  Orgasm is different for every woman. Orgasm varies in depth because of the variables, mood, partner, where sex takes place, the time of the month (in relation to your menstrual cycle), and much more.

Some of us have experienced the raw, hot lust and rush as we have sex in the elevator, or on the bosses desk, or in the car park, or the back seat of the car. Yet, like I said, orgasm is different every time.

This (portion), reprint of an article written by Emma Gray, Associate Editor, Huffpost says it all. It was written from the perspective of vaginal orgasm as opposed to clitoral orgasm.

Even if vaginal orgasm is more available to women than previously thought, it doesn't work for everyone, or even most women. ABC News reported that up to 75 percent of women have trouble having orgasms from vaginal penetration alone, and that 10 to 15 percent have trouble having an orgasm at all, and yet many women still feel they're doing something wrong if they can't "achieve" the ecstasy that seems to come so easily to porn stars and models in perfume ads during intercourse. A simple Google search turns up hundreds of postings on Yahoo message boards from women who feel inadequate because they can't achieve a specific type of orgasm -- or any orgasm. These posts have titles like "I can't have a vaginal orgasm...and it's affecting my relationship?" "I have never had an orgasm through penetrative sex, am I normal?" and "Is it normal that I have never had an orgasm?!?"

Where do these strong beliefs come from and when do they start?  Why is it a young women feels she has to have 5 star experiences from the outset when having a sexual experience?  Who or what sets this benchmark? You know it is a given, from surveys done by Sassy Vibes in the past, that having sex/ or making love is different every time.  You can't set out with expectations.  It really is about the journey at hand, the destination means it is all over! Lights, bells and whistles for some, deep inner warmth and exquisite body rush for others, borderline sensation and being held close for others.  The latter does not mean anything is wrong, it is merely different (this time).

Good God whatever happened to the fun and play and pleasure of the sexual act.  Why is it a rush to the finish line with so much expectation?

Suffice to say, there is no doubt that the accessibility to unrealistic information, You Tube views, tabloid reading, various chat groups on the internet and the like, all contribute to illusory impressions of what orgasm is supposed to be like and feel like.  I wouldn't mind betting that there are those 'out there' who  believe they have never achieved orgasm and in fact have.  It is simply that they have never given themselves permission to allow, go into, unfold, into the experience as they are too busy trying to work out if this "is it" or not and miss the entire joy of the moment.

Give it up!  Go with the flow and enjoy!!

 

I recently addressed students at the Medical Faculty of Bond University on the Gold Coast.  It was a day where these students stood together to take a stand and speak up about International Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation.  The students had gone to a lot of trouble to bring awareness to this barbaric form of abuse towards the female gender in countries such as Africa, Indonesia and other Asian and Arabic countries.

Trouble is, where culture and tradition (posing on religious grounds) have become so deeply imbedded in the psyche of the elders, it will take time for change to become permanent.  I have read of young girls being excited about the fact that they are about to become initiated, however once the cut has been made and alcohol poured into the wound (if they are lucky), it becomes a different story.  The terror, pain and the unwillingness to scream at the time, must take all the energy they can muster.  Left bound for days on end whilst healing takes place, the tears flow and flow.  It is often the old women who perform the circumcision.

The procedure, which involves the partial or total removal of external genitalia, is designed to decrease women’s sexual desire and is seen in many cultures as essential for a women’s suitability for marriage.  Actually there are three levels of circumcision practiced across Africa.  Circumcision, or sunna, entails the removal of the hood of the clitoris and sometimes part of the clitoris itself; excision was the removal of the clitoris and all or part of the inner lips of the vagina  around the vagina; and infibulation means the removal of the clitoris, inner lips , and all or part of the outer lips.  Infibulation also entails sewing the area back up and leaving a hole the width of a matchstick.  Infibulation has existed in countries like Mali, Togo, Sudan and Somalia.  Most girls are often excised in dark huts with a razor blade, scissors, a knife or a broken piece of glass.  Very few of these tools are ever well cleaned.  Of course a lot of these girls having had this performed on them go into shock, bleed to death or live for a few days before succumbing to tetanus or blood poisoning.

Then there is the recurrent tearing of the scar tissue during sex, permanent incontinence, painful menstruation, bacterial infections and possibly infertility.  Also where a scarred vagina is particularly difficult for a man to enter, his repeated penetrations cause tears and damage to the perineum, urethra and anus.  This can lead to opening up of a new hole, a "false vagina", a hole that does not lead to bearing children. The thing is, it is widely believed that this is the path to womanhood.  Without it the daughters and granddaughters would be unsuitable marriage partners, and therefore unsuitable mothers, the one job a girl is born to do.

In Africa, communities are coming together to put an end to Female Genital Mutilation / Cutting, (FGM/C). There are women's movements in some African countries, like Senegal that are speaking out against the practice.  Through a joint program, UNFPA,  ( United Nations Family Planning Association) and UNICEF,  (United Nations Children's Fund)  are working to support their efforts. Governments, non-governmental organizations, religious leaders and community groups are making real progress.  In 2011, just three years into the program, more than 6,000 communities in Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Senegal, Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Guinea and Somalia have already abandoned the practice.

 

 

 This significant progress in the fight against FGM/C is a direct result of the commitment of NGOs and various associations including Zonta International, the political authorities, and the involvement of traditional and religious leaders, with support from technical and financial partners.  A strategic communication plan was put in place, accompanied by intense lobbying, technical capacity building and institutional support. Happily, these strategies are proving quite successful.

As a result, in the country Burkina Faso: A law was passed on November 13, 1996 outlawing FGM/C;  May 18 is celebrated every year as the National Day to combat FGM/C. The visible support of opinion leaders, traditional chiefs and religious authorities has been extraordinarily influential in highlighting the problem and leading to its decrease; and for those of you who have read the papers lately you will have seen the photos of Masai tribesmen in their customary clothing playing cricket.  The Masai Warriors cricket team use their matches to help raise awareness of health issues including HIV and alcohol and substance abuse. They are aiming to be role models in their community where they campaign against female genital mutilation, as well as the marrying of young teenagers.

Social norms and cultural practices are changing, and communities are uniting to protect the rights of girls. The culture of FGM often pre-dates religion. It can occur when a girl is as young as 6 months, or between the ages of 4 and 10 years or on marriage. It is believed there are between 100 and 130 million women who have had FGM with a further 2 million undergo the procedure each year.

UNFPA and UNICEF are working with partners to end this harmful practice in one generation and believe that reaching this goal is possible. Children are entitled to an environment that guarantees their protection from all forms of violence. UNICEF is committed to fostering the growth of this environment, which will enable children to thrive, while fully respecting their rights.
The World Health Organisation in 1981, stated that health professionals were not permitted to perform FGM and described it as a human rights issue reaffirming that

‘..because the girl child has no voice, government should take all measures to guarantee protection to the girl child …”

Activities to reduce it have focussed on training circumcisors in countries where the practice is common, to stop the practise and take new employment as educators.
In December 2011 legislation in the USA was introduced that would criminalize the transportation of young girls out of the United States to receive female genital mutilation (FGM) procedures. The Girls Protection Act would serve as a follow up to legislation passed in 1996 that outlawed the practice of FGM in the United States. The bill proposes fines and up to five years in prison for those who violate the law.  Senator Reid (who instigated this legislation) stated, “While it is difficult to know precisely how many girls in the United States are at risk of being subject to FGM, estimates from various sources suggest that approximately 200,000 women living in the United States have been, or are at risk, of being subject to FGM.”

Which brings me to ask the question—what can we do to reduce Female Genital Mutilation in Australia?

Female circumcision is illegal in Australia, but experts say there is evidence that it is being practised here. Most governments now view FGM/C as more than a traditional practice; it is seen as an issue about public health, violence and individual rights.

 

This centuries-old custom has been outlawed in Australia since the 1990s.  It is a fact, that when people migrate to Australia they usually bring their culture with them. If female genital mutilation (FGM) was practised in their home community then it is seen by some as being a necessary ‘rite of passage’ to women hood in their new country.

In Australia, there is no mandatory reporting of FGM and health professionals are not able to check children at risk. About 600-700 are seen at Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital that have experienced FGM in some form.

Throughout Australia it takes a culturally sensitive approach to educate and empower communities to eradicate FGM, rather than alienating them. If we try and dictate and pontificate about this and not provide culturally appropriate care, we'll further disenfranchise these women.  Progress will take time, will feel slow, yet step by step change will occur.  With so many women and groups speaking out, advocating to cease the practice, and doing their best to empower women, there will come the day when this practise disappears for good.

What a great day that will be.

Editors Note:  If you are interested in this subject then I suggest watching Desert Flower the film of the life of Somalian Waris Dirie (who speaks in the video on this page).  Desert Flower is also a book.  Another book I have recently read is Monique and the Mango Rains written by Kris Holloway.

 The most read blog on this site is my reaction to the documentary "The Perfect Vagina".  I have found the documentary still available to watch, so put your feet up and watch this..

I would like to add,this documentary is about cosmetic surgery, about not being happy with your lot, believing youself to be 'abnormal down there'.

Surgery may restore self-esteem and your labia may look like the magazines (which after airbrushing and photo shopping aren't real anyway), but you will have lost your uniqueness.

However, I do realise there are medical reasons for having this type of surgery which I fully support. Discomfort during intercourse, discomfort wearing clothing and with some sporting activities. Labioplasty is done for two reasons: medical reasons and aesthetic or beautification reasons.

At the end of the day your body is yours and no one elses.  Whilst I personally am not an advocate of "oh this looks like shit, cut it off and make me look better", at the end of the day it is only my opinion.

I would hasten to add though, should any reader be contemplating this type of surgery, do your research, question everything, get a second opinion and remember altering anything on the outside does not change who you are on the inside.

Take a look at this video which shows another side to this dilemma of not liking your vulva.  They love the result of what this guy does though.  Excellent viewing!

 

  "Fast sex, like fast food, is cheap, but it doesn’t nourish the body- or the soul”- Suzanne Fields

 

Be honest, when a woman goes down on you, you want the act to act as long as possible, right? We, women, feel the same. A lightning fast orgasm borders frustration more than pleasure. Of course, when giving oral sex, we don’t want your mouth and tongue to go numb or your jaw to get stuck and become robotic, but we would really appreciate if the whole experience lasted more than a mere two minutes. Unless of course we are on our way to work, we’re late, but you decide to surprise us with a quick number. Then we won’t blame you for being too fast, we’re just going to appreciate that you wanted us to go to work… free of any tension!

That said, if you get too excited while you’re doing your partner, remember that while you’re sucking all over she’s praying for it not to be over too soon, which means that she’s bound to miss the full pleasure of climaxing.

Here’s a few tricks to make oral sex last longer than usual:

1.    Don’t chase the hot spots first. In the proper sense of the word, oral sex means you can kiss and caress ALL of her erogenous spots, not just the clitoris, which is the QUEEN of hot spots. Most men err because they choose to take the safe road and go for what they know for sure is working. Big mistake! The most important aspect of oral sex is exploring, the majority of women enjoy cunnilingus when it’s their whole body that is being taken care of and cherished. It’s a sign of love and intimacy and we adore to feel like we’re being put on a pedestal and treated like queens. So, use your tongue to lick the surrounding areas: her inner thighs, her belly button, even her anus. Get creative and surprise her with different ideas and movements as you locate her hot spots.

2.    Change pace. Instead of running your tongue up and down like somebody’s chasing you, lick her at different speeds. Do it in slow motion, making sure that you miss no spot, and pick up the pace when you feel she’s relaxed enough and ready to go to the next level. By changing the rhythm, you grant her oral sex with different sensations, thereby lessening the chances of her orgasming too quickly. Give her time to unleash tension, keep building up sensation and the final Big O will grow bigger than both of you dare to imagine.

http://www.gabriellemoore.com/hlicks/marieelise

3.    Hands off! Even if she begs you to use your hands (either to insert fingers into her vagina, or rub her breasts) don’t give her the satisfaction, yet! The fact that she feels like she’s being deprived of pleasure makes her more eager to make the most of what she does get, and when you’re finally succumbing to her wishes, things are bound to get explosive. You know what you can also do with your hands? You can masturbate in front of her. The image of you pleasuring yourself at the same time is really intimate and her entire body and mind will be flooded with pleasure.

4.    Interrupt the act. To have a sip of wine, to kiss her passionately on the mouth, to rest your hand on her thighs, to run your fingers through her hair, whatever comes to mind. Then start all over again. The pause will leave her body in expectant and heightened desire mode and the orgasm will be delayed, which she will really appreciate. Don’t stop to go to the bathroom or see what’s on TV or go grab a bite of food, that’s only going to kill her mood and she won’t orgasm at all in the end. And you’ll look terribly insensitive.

5.    Make it into a game. Laugh with her, ask her how she’d want you to do her, what she’ll prefer you to do next, tickle her softly, let her be involved in the whole act. That will get her mind off climaxing for a while, but she’ll still enjoy the warm sensations of your mouth and tongue. When she least expects it, get serious and speed things up. When the orgasm comes unexpectedly, the feeling is far greater than when you’re begging for it to grace you with its presence.

Have a deliciously sensual week, hot oral week!!

P.S. 85% percent of women like their oral sex to last between 7 and 15 minutes. Either if they’re on the giving or receiving end.

http://www.gabriellemoore.com/hlicks/marieelise