1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Healthy Ish. Thanks for joining us today on 2 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: the Body and Soul podcast. I am your host for listening, Haley, 3 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,639 Speaker 1: how do you feel about your LaBier or perhaps it's 4 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: your partner's labia. Well, my guest today is here to 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: reassure us all whatever you've got down there, it's absolutely normal. 6 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: In fact, there is no normal, photographer, Ellie Saidwick joins 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: us to discuss the pervasive issue of vulva anxiety and 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: the societal pressures that lead well a lot of women 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: to seek cosmetic procedures. Actually, have you heard of the 10 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: new one? It is called labia puffing, and yes we're 11 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,879 Speaker 1: going to talk about that as well. If you do 12 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,479 Speaker 1: want more from Ellie actually, in fact listening to our 13 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: chat on extra Healthy Ish, where she shares more on 14 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 1: her own struggles with volver anxiety. You can catch that 15 00:00:46,000 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts. Ellie, thanks for joining us 16 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 1: on health yesterday. 17 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 2: My pleasure. Felicity, so happy to be here. 18 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: Now, before we talk about your phenomenal project, I have 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: to run this latest Evolver trend past you that we 20 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: are actually we had on the site last week because 21 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: it is well obviously calling it out as something horrifying 22 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: laby are puffing? Have you come across this one? I mean, 23 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: do people actually get this shit done? 24 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 2: I mean, let's be honest, men don't get this done 25 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 2: to their scrotums. But yes, why do we feel like 26 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 2: we have to get this done to our bolvers? Mental? 27 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 2: It's crazy? 28 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: I know, what is it? Right? I mean, I just 29 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: can't understand people wanting a treatment, a cosmetic filler or 30 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: fat being injected into your labia to basically normalize the area. 31 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: I know, and like with the lack of research on 32 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: women's health and anatomy, we have no idea what this 33 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: is doing to impact our sensation. Like there's just not 34 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 2: enough knowledge around laby plus volver puffing or whatever it's called. 35 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: We have no idea of what that does to our 36 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 2: anatomy or our pleasure, Like whether it's later in life 37 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:11,079 Speaker 2: or now. There's so many nerve endings in that part 38 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 2: of our body, So we're really messing with a part 39 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 2: of our body that we that is really pleasurable if 40 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: we learn how to touch ourselves properly. 41 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a really good point. Now, before we get 42 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: to your amazing project, talk to us about vulva anxiety. 43 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 1: You know, it's out there, you experienced. What is it exactly? 44 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: Can you describe it to us? 45 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: So for me personally, it was that I felt I 46 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: wasn't worthy of pleasure because of the way that my 47 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 2: vulver looked. I felt a lot of shame and I 48 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 2: felt that I didn't have this I mean quotation design 49 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 2: of vagina that I thought. I know I'm wrong now 50 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 2: after photographing five hundred people's bolgers, but I thought we 51 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 2: all had that like Bali design of vagina where you're 52 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 2: all tupped up and there's nothing there that you see 53 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:03,639 Speaker 2: sort of you know, in bikinis they often edit out 54 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,360 Speaker 2: photoshop any sort of labor, so you just see like 55 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 2: a flat and you know it is full of anxiety. 56 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 2: Was definitely personal issue for me. But now I totally 57 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 2: believe that it's becoming a health crisis. 58 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: Well a health crisis talked about this. I mean, you know, 59 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: perhaps first tell us about your project, because that'll give 60 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: shed some light on how you've got insight into it 61 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: being a crisis. Tell us about your project. 62 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:34,399 Speaker 2: Okay, So in twenty and eighteen, I started photographingvolvers. So 63 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 2: I put up a little Facebook post saying that I 64 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 2: was going to photograph five hundred people and make a 65 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 2: coffee table book. And I wanted that book to be 66 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 2: used in gynecologist offices, schools, libraries all around the world. 67 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 2: I just wanted it to be in the people's hands 68 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: that are like me, where they felt their body wasn't 69 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:01,440 Speaker 2: right because they didn't see others. So I have been 70 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 2: on a national tour all around Australia and New York 71 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 2: and London photographing people. And yeah, my books just come 72 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 2: out this very week. It's been printed and it's going 73 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 2: out to all the homes all across the world. And yeah, 74 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 2: it's not just I think when people think of it, 75 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 2: they think it's just all photos. But there's five hundred photos, yes, 76 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 2: but there's also about one hundred photos that cover topics 77 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:33,560 Speaker 2: such as thrush, vaginismus, back to your vaginosis, miscapurages, all 78 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 2: those women's health topics that we all quietly suffer with, 79 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,160 Speaker 2: and that there's you know, there's still although there is 80 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 2: a big change happening, they're still very taboo. 81 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: Tell us about the crisis. I mean, what did you 82 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: perhaps take away from photographing all these volvers going through 83 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: different women's health issues? I mean, are women concerned about 84 00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: what's going on with their volvers. 85 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 2: Well, I think that histics from the Women's Health Victoria. 86 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 2: They just brought out some statistics that say almost one 87 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:11,479 Speaker 2: quarter of women aged eighteen to twenty four feel anxious, embarrassed, 88 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 2: or unhappy about the appearance of their labor, which obviously 89 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,560 Speaker 2: then has damaging impacts on their physical, mental, and sexual 90 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 2: health and well being. And then it was like one 91 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 2: in ten, so that's the equivalent of more than half 92 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 2: a million women say that they have or have had 93 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: or considered lavier plasty. So that's showing now to be 94 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 2: one of the fastest growing cosmetic procedures among young people 95 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:38,680 Speaker 2: and worldwide. And the same research paper found that gen 96 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 2: z Labyer shame is significantly heightened, with almost one in 97 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 2: four people aged eighteen to twenty four reporting that they 98 00:05:46,360 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 2: feel anxious, unhappy, or embarrassed about their laber. Yeah, that's 99 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 2: so it's very concerning. And I mean I was recently 100 00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 2: quite trolled online, which I mean I always get backlash, 101 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: but a couple of Moskin's always created conversations since very 102 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 2: first started, but everyone was just sort of saying, you know, 103 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 2: how can you worry about this stuff? When there's so 104 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 2: much worse stuff going on in the world. But I 105 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 2: do think, you know, like it is really important to 106 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 2: have sex education and start this conversation and slowly help 107 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 2: remove like the stigma, will to spread awareness of vulvar diversity, 108 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 2: because going under the knife, you are cutting it off 109 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 2: to fit society's idea of beauty, which is forever changing. 110 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 2: And we, as I said before, we just don't know 111 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 2: the damage that that's doing. And you know, I know 112 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:48,159 Speaker 2: that in the past enlargements breast fillers were so popular, 113 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: Whereas I speak to a lot of cosmetic surgeons because 114 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 2: of the research that I do and have done throughout 115 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 2: the past six years, and they all say they're starting 116 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,640 Speaker 2: to do more lavier plasties. And then when you think 117 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 2: of like b am I, which is a lot of 118 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 2: symptoms of that for people getting breast in plants, there 119 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 2: was so much like brain fog, you know, there was 120 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:11,239 Speaker 2: a lot of illnesses that we only found out later. 121 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 2: And as I said before, this lavier plasty isn't researched enough, 122 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 2: like women's health in general for our bodies isn't research stuff. 123 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 2: So we don't know yet what what could happen after 124 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 2: this procedure. I mean it's irreversible. We know that once 125 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 2: you cut off your LaBier laby plasty, you can never 126 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 2: get that lavia back, I mean lavier plus puffing. It's 127 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 2: sane that you know you have to get it done 128 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 2: every six months, So I don't I think it's just 129 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 2: absolutely crazy. 130 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: I mean sorry, I can't even like, I don't even 131 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: want to think about having something like a needle into 132 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:52,560 Speaker 1: my my lay. Yeah, excruciating. It's just crazy. 133 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 2: And it's just another thing. Every single day you're reading 134 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 2: something new that women have to live up to to 135 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 2: be beautiful, and it's all just absolute rubbish. 136 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: What just before we go, what's one thing that you 137 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 1: want women to know or learn or something that perhaps, yeah, 138 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: that you've learned from photographing all these volvers. 139 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 2: Gosh, you are also unique, and I know that a 140 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 2: lot of people have asymmetrical labia, so some of them 141 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,320 Speaker 2: are longer and shorter and you know, wavy like mine's 142 00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 2: a little bit like a little oyster. And that used 143 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:31,920 Speaker 2: to really upset me, but now I have completely come 144 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:34,679 Speaker 2: through the realization that that is what makes me me. 145 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 2: And I think if someone is negative about the way 146 00:08:39,960 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 2: your body looks, then they don't deserve to be. 147 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 1: Down there, you know. 148 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, And you just have to love. We have one life, 149 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 2: one body. Just the sooner that you can love the 150 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 2: skin you're in. You've got to live a happier, more 151 00:08:56,600 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 2: out there, more out there, you know, joyous life. And 152 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,839 Speaker 2: we have so many things that create shame around us. 153 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 2: And I always say, shame can't live behind a voice, 154 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 2: So speak loud and live large, and just go out 155 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 2: there and have fun and just do all the things 156 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 2: that you can with your beautiful body, like walk, run, play, masturbate. 157 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,760 Speaker 2: You know. Just there's so many pleasures, especially in that area, 158 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: so I say, go and live and enjoy it. 159 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, well done, Ellie, Thank you for coming unhealthy ish pleasure. 160 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: Ellie's book is called Flip through My Flaps and it 161 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,439 Speaker 1: is out now. By the way, I encourage you to 162 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: jump on her website and take a look at all 163 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: the volvers and the penises and everything else on there. 164 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: It is, I don't know, perhaps really reassuring in many ways. 165 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: I will also leave a link to the EP we 166 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:56,040 Speaker 1: did on the Labia Diversity Report, which is published by 167 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: Women's Health Victoria. That was a goody anyway. I hope 168 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: you did enjoy the chat, Head to body andsoul dot 169 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: com dot or if you want any more info, you 170 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 1: can follow us on socials. I am at Felicity Harley 171 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: For any feedback, grab our print edition which is out 172 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: in your local Sunday paper. Thanks again for listening and 173 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: stay healthy.