In a world where every online search can yield thousands of results, it can be challenging to access accurate and easy-to-understand health care information. This is a problem for sexual health in particular, as it is often coupled with stigma and can create barriers for individuals receiving the medical attention, counselling and support they need.
The BC Centre for Vulvar Health’s (BCCVH) Instagram account, @hello.vulva, is dedicated to changing this by offering interactive content about vulvar and vaginal health, sexual dysfunction and evidence-based resources to support individuals in need.
“We really want to empower patients to really be the leader in their own health care for their vulva[r] and vaginal health,” said Dr. Kaitlyn Goldsmith, a UBC psychology lecturer, clinical psychologist at BCCVH and manager of @hello.vulva.
“A really big part of that is having patients have access to really good information and to increase their knowledge in the area, so that they know the questions to ask … What better way to do this than by using social media and putting our voices out there?”
Together with her colleagues at BCCVH, Goldsmith launched @hello.vulva in September, 2021.
As of January, 2025, the account has garnered more than 15,500 followers. According to Goldsmith, part of this success was creating eye-catching content that would open discussion around the audience's experiences.
“We really wanted to find a way to make the content engaging and fun and sometimes a little bit cheeky, so that we could really engage an audience and get a lot of shares,” said Goldsmith.
Providing the best information possible was also important to Goldsmith and her team while creating @hello.vulva, which is why they ensure content is created by health care professionals including gynecologists, psychologists and psychotherapists.
“Our content is created by experts in the field … which is how we really ensure that it's portraying the correct information … that we can really stand behind as professionals.”
The account features a blend of educational resources that address sexual health issues and dispel myths, destigmatize sexuality and bodies and discuss misconceptions, like that sex is supposed to be painful for people with vulvas or orgasms should be reached through penetration alone.
“The World Health Organization recognizes sexual health as an integral component of overall health and wellbeing, and it's time that we have these conversations … and really empower people with good information,” said Goldsmith. “What makes it challenging on social media is some of the censorship.”
Words like “vulva” and “sex” get muted by the algorithm and content showing genitals risks being flagged and removed, preventing educational content from being viewed. Usually @hello.vulva portrays vulvas in their full glory but sometimes uses symbols or more abstract renditions of vulvas.
Goldsmith also expressed frustration with double standards of what does and doesn’t get censored on social media.
“It's really baffling to see that contrast where women's bodies can be so sexualized and sexually objectified, and that is fine with Instagram. But then, [we’ve had] diagrams or drawings of vulvas … removed from our page which is just really indicative of how women's bodies are portrayed in the media.”
Lack of funding for women’s health research also poses difficulties in understanding more about sexual health and therefore, being able to educate people about them. A study found that in nearly three-quarters of the cases where a disease affects mainly one gender, the funding patterns heavily favour males.
This issue was highlighted by @hello.vulva, as one of its most shared posts according to Goldsmith was a meme with Sleeping Beauty saying, “Wake me up when women's health issues receive as much funding and attention as men's.”
“It was cool to see that one shared so much because it really showed how on the same page everybody is [with] wanting more research funds and dedicated funds for women's health,” said Goldsmith.
For people who want to create similar accounts, Goldsmith advised to “get really clear on your mission and what you're trying to do … and really stick with it,” as the process of gaining a sizable audience can be long, given instability and censorship on social media platforms.
“The more accounts that we have that are on a similar mission and amplifying each other, [the more] we can make change and push for more of this information being available.”
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