A woman’s choice of words for her genitals is tied to her sexual well-being, study finds

A new study suggests that the names women use for their genitals are associated with their body image, sexual pleasure, and certain health behaviors. The research indicates that using playful or childish terms for genitals in everyday life is linked to more negative outcomes, while using vulgar terms during sex is connected to more positive sexual experiences. The findings were published in the journal Sex Roles.

While many scholars and educators believe language shapes our body image, this idea has rarely been put to the test. A team of researchers led by Tanja Oschatz of Johannes-Gutenberg-University and Rotem Kahalon of Bar-Ilan University aimed to provide the missing scientific evidence, particularly regarding the terms women use for their genitals.

“For years, both feminist scholars and sex educators have emphasized that language matters—that the words we use to talk about our bodies can shape how we feel about them. Yet, despite this widely accepted idea, there was surprisingly little empirical evidence showing how this plays out with regards to women’s genitals,” Oschatz told PsyPost.

“Although there were studies from 20 year ago that catalogued the many terms women use to describe their genitals, no one had examined whether using different terms is actually linked to women’s feelings, attitudes, or behaviors. Our first goal was to close this gap.”

“Secondly, we wanted to update previous findings on women’s genital naming. Language is constantly evolving—especially around gender, sexuality, and the body. What women call their genitals today may carry different meanings and social implications than it did two decades ago, and we wanted to capture this contemporary picture.”

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To conduct their study, the researchers surveyed 457 women from the United States with diverse ages. Participants were asked what terms they most commonly use to refer to their genitals in two different scenarios: a general, non-sexual context and a partnered, sexual context.

The women also completed a series of questionnaires designed to measure their feelings and attitudes. These included scales assessing their genital self-image, their overall sexual pleasure, orgasm frequency, attitudes toward oral sex, and certain health-related behaviors, such as the use of vaginal cleaning products and their openness to labiaplasty, a type of cosmetic genital surgery.

After collecting the terms, the researchers performed a content analysis and grouped the words into nine distinct categories. These categories included anatomical (e.g., “vagina,” “vulva”), vulgar (e.g., “pussy”), playful/childish (e.g., “hoo-ha,” “vajayjay”), and euphemisms (e.g., “down there,” “private parts”), among others. The team then used statistical analyses to see if using terms from a particular category was associated with the participants’ self-reported attitudes and behaviors.

In general, non-sexual contexts, the study found that a majority of women, about 75%, reported using at least one anatomical term, with “vagina” being the most frequent. However, playful/childish terms and euphemisms were also common, each used by roughly 15% of the participants.

“We found that genital naming among women is very diverse—and that it depends strongly on the context,” Oschatz explained. “For example, when women were asked, ‘What term do you generally use?’, the majority mentioned at least one anatomical term such as ‘vagina’ or ‘vulva.’ In contrast, when asked what term they use in a sexual context, most women reported using more informal or vulgar terms like ‘pussy.’ Compared to data from twenty years ago, we also found that the term ‘vulva’ (referring to the outer parts of women’s genitals) and words referring to the clitoris have become more common, suggesting a more differentiated and anatomically informed vocabulary today.”

The researchers found that women who used playful/childish terms tended to report a more negative genital self-image. This connection appeared to extend to other areas as well. The use of these terms was also linked to a lower perception of a partner’s enjoyment of giving oral sex, a greater likelihood of using vaginal cleaning products, and a higher interest in getting labiaplasty.

The researchers found that a more negative genital self-image helped explain the connection between using playful terms and the greater openness to labiaplasty, as well as the lower perceived partner enjoyment of oral sex. This suggests that the negative feelings women have about their genitals may be a key factor driving these other outcomes.

“Our findings show that the words women use are indeed related to their attitudes and experiences,” Oschatz told PsyPost. “Women who used childish terms such as ‘hoo-ha’ or ‘vajayjay’ tended to report more negative feelings about their genitals. These terms were also linked to sexual and health behaviors and attitudes—such as a more negative perception of partner’s oral sex enjoyment, greater use of vaginal cleaning products, and higher openness to labiaplasty.”

When the researchers analyzed the terms women used in a sexual context with a partner, the linguistic landscape changed significantly. In this setting, the most common category was vulgar terms, with nearly 45% of women reporting their use. The most frequent word in this category was “pussy.” Anatomical terms were the second most common.

The analysis showed that using vulgar terms during sex was associated with positive sexual outcomes. Women who used these terms reported experiencing greater general sexual pleasure, more frequent orgasms, and a stronger desire to receive oral sex.

“Context really matters,” Oschatz emphasized. “The associations between language and attitudes differed depending on when the terms were used. For instance, childish terms were linked to more negative feelings only when used in non-sexual contexts, but not during sexual ones. Interestingly, using the word ‘pussy’ in sexual contexts was associated with greater sexual pleasure and more frequent orgasms. This suggests that a word once considered derogatory may now be reclaimed by many women and carry an element of empowerment.”

Contrary to what researchers expected, the use of euphemisms was not associated with a negative genital self-image or any other adverse outcomes in the study.

“We were surprised to find that using euphemisms—vague and indirect terms like ‘own there’ or ‘private area’—was not associated with more negative attitudes toward women’s own genitals,” Oschatz said. “We had expected that these terms might carry an element of shame or discomfort, which could be linked to a more negative genital self-image. However, our findings suggest otherwise. Instead, it was really the use of childish language that was related to negative feelings and attitudes.”

As with all research, the study has some limitations. The participants were predominantly white and highly educated, so the findings may not apply to women from other racial, ethnic, or socioeconomic backgrounds where language and cultural norms may differ. The research was also focused exclusively on cisgender women.

Additionally, because the study shows a correlation, it cannot determine causation. It is unclear if using certain words influences a woman’s feelings and behaviors, or if her existing feelings and behaviors influence her choice of words. It is also possible that the relationship works in both directions.

Future research could explore these dynamics in more diverse populations and use methods that help establish the direction of the relationship over time. Researchers also suggest a deeper exploration into the complex nature of reclaimed terms to better understand how and when they contribute to a sense of genuine empowerment.

The study’s authors note that the findings have practical implications, particularly for health and education. Discouraging infantilizing language and promoting the use of accurate anatomical terms in medical, educational, and family settings could help reduce shame and improve body literacy and well-being among women.

The study, “Vagina, Pussy, Vulva, Vag – Women’s Names for Their Genitals are Differentially Associated with Sexual and Health Outcomes,” was authored by Tanja Oschatz, Verena Klein, Veronica Kovalcik, and Rotem Kahalon.