31 Things That Helped People Love Their Vaginas

"Shout out to uteruses, the original 3D printers."

Vaginas and vulvas are wonderful, but not everyone automatically loves theirs all the time.

Societal expectations, stereotypes in the media, and unsolicited critiques don't exactly help.

So we asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what made them come to love and accept their vulva or vagina. Here's what they said:

1. Seeing The Vagina Monologues performed.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @tahoekel

"It really opened my eyes to how women feel about their vaginas and the journeys they've experienced. We should cherish the fact that women can endure so much pain while being beautiful and strong people."

—alccbrown

2. Going au naturel.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @saramakes222

"I learned to love my vagina when I stopped waxing my pubic hair. It was painful and made me feel uncomfortable with all the redness, ingrown hairs, etc. When I started having sex with my (now) fiancé, he loved my vagina/vulva, hair and all!"

—habibi372

3. Reading How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @gingersnaps5891

"It's the most empowering book I've ever read!"

—n41c0d45a4

4. "Learning how to masturbate at 13."

Alice Mongkongllite / buzzfeed.com

—sarahe4507ed29f

5. "Discovering how to make myself orgasm."

HBO / Via hbosgirls.tumblr.com

—Indy Miller, Facebook

6. Reading the Guide to Getting It On by Paul Joannides.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @clitorcrush

"I highly recommend it for all of your sex-ed (health, pleasure, history) needs."

—s4c8aed0b2

7. "Realizing it's mine and a beautiful part of my body."

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"I'm blessed that it's healthy, and that I can hopefully look forward to making babies with it."

—jessicat418d31046

8. "Having confidence in the rest of my body."

youtube.com / Via ifunny.co

"That confidence translated into having more sexual partners who in turn contributed to my sexual confidence and improved relationship with my vagina and accompanying parts."

—Nicole Stamas, Facebook

9. "Getting my first bikini wax."

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @southernwomansbookstore

"It was just so empowering to go into a room so insecure and come out feeling confident and fly as hell."

—marisaa4ed676004

10. Watching porn for the first time.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @suzanna_scott

"When I started watching porn and realized even though they're all different, mine is actually kind of pretty to look at."

—booksnotboys

11. Reading I <3 Female Orgasm.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @thelittleone521

"When I was 18 and read the book I ❤ Female Orgasm for the first time, subsequently having my first orgasm."

—sarat4408245e6

12. Using a menstrual cup.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @thegoddessbox

"When I started using a menstrual cup, I had to get to know it very well, more so than ever before. Vaginas are wonderful and are capable of so much."

—katies42954b924

13. "Using a vibrator for the first time."

Alice Mongkongllite / buzzfeed.com

—jakefinn

14. Watching Sexplanations on YouTube.

youtube.com

"It started with one video, and suddenly I was hooked and in love with my own body."

—athenaj42a99a7eb

15. "Having sex with the right person."

Lionsgate / Via gifbin.com

—gracedarkin

16. Getting a hysterectomy.

bustle.com / Via instagram.com

"I started enjoying my vulva and vagina more after my hysterectomy."

—maryann02

17. Getting diagnosed with endometriosis and learning how important the reproductive system is.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @feministprobs

"My reproductive organs don't function properly, and over time I've learned just how much that can affect my overall wellbeing. I've learned to love, value, and take extra care of my body, because an unhappy system can be debilitating."

—maddyw48a343e53

18. "Realizing I'm a lesbian."

FOX / Via sesolosapessiquantotiamo.tumblr.com

"Because I was more interested in figuring out what it was and how it worked."

—graces4eec6de52

19. "Pushing an almost 7 lb human out and it going back to normal like nothing happened."

Twitter: @bill_nye_tho__

—amyw406029465

20. "Watching a video of my son being born."

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @planned_parenthood_cw

—dannicarter08

21. "Watching body-positive porn with my husband."

20th Century Fox / Via clean-paradise.tumblr.com

"I was very close friends with two guys in college who believed the myth that the size of your labia is a sign of promiscuity. It made me very insecure about my vulva, even though I knew they were ignorant. When I opened up to my husband about my insecurities with my vulva, he reassured me that he found my body beautiful and arousing. He picked out some body-positive porn for us to watch together and get excited by, to further reassure me of his opinion and of the fact that it's OK to like how I look!"

—kissonmylist

22. Getting a cervical cancer screening.

FOX / Via pentasassed.tumblr.com

"When I went for my first pap test and it came back irregular — meaning I ended up having to undergo over a year of follow-up tests and minor treatment. It made me realize my vagina is very intimate, precious, and shouldn't be ignored or be an afterthought."

—alicea446e525f3

23. Finding the right birth control.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @planned_parenthood_cw

"I learned to love my vagina when I started on the birth-control shot and soon after stopped having periods after years of irregularity, pain, and all kinds of problems caused by my period."

—deniserenej

24. "Realizing I can pleasure myself better than anyone else can."

Hit-Boy / Via telltalesonline.com

"In my own time. At my own pace. That it's there to help me whenever I feel down. I appreciate it so much more than I used to. The whole thing is an endless source of pleasure and self-acceptance."

—su1988

25. Watching bisexual porn for the first time.

youtube.com / Via slayjelena.tumblr.com

"I used to think vaginas were this weird thing that should never be talked about. I only ever changed my mind when I started watching porn, specifically girl-on-girl stuff (bisexual awakening!). They seemed so comfortable with their bodies and with showing off their stuff that I decided I should give mine a look."

—asterrisk

26. "Discovering the clit."

Instagram: @brianvu / Via instagram.com

—asaphanny

27. Giving it actual compliments.

hoyabetches.tumblr.com

"Since I was young, I thought mine was decent-looking. But once I started saying out loud that it was 'perfect and beautiful' I really believed it."

—norah4e389d7ac

28. "Growing into myself and finding my identity."

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @plannedparenthood

"Being a nonbinary individual, it took me a long time to love my vagina. I felt like because I wanted to change the way my chest looked, then that meant I also had to change downstairs, too. Now I realize how wonderful my body is."

—marlin6125

29. "Naming my labia after characters from a cartoon."

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @leilagross13

"I named my labia after characters from a cartoon who are always hugging. Lol, Walter and Perry are much less intimidating to me now. They are funny and cute!"

—ashlees4d8d90700

30. Becoming educated on everything vagina-related.

Comedy Central / Via popkey.co

"I realized that my amount of discharge is completely normal and that I was taking care of it all wrong. I started to take probiotics to maintain my sensitive pH and found significant others that loved me and my vagina."

—zeho

31. Learning it doesn't need to smell like peaches and cream to be healthy.

instagram.com / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/look_at_this_pusssy/?hl=en

—thepopularmisfit

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