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'Something that stretches during sex': replacing the word hymen with vaginal corona to challenge patriarchal views on virginity
Department of Culture and Learning, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden.
Department of Culture and Learning, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden.
Örebro University, School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1184-3084
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
2018 (English)In: Gender and Language, ISSN 1747-6321, E-ISSN 1747-633X, Vol. 12, no 3, p. 294-317Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Although there is no scientific proof of a breakable membrane in the vagina, virginity controls are causing great suffering to women worldwide, and hymen (re) constructions are carried out in many countries. The hymen is called modomshinna 'virginity membrane' in Swedish, which can reinforce the idea of a breakable membrane. In their work against female sexual oppression the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education launched a new term, vaginal corona. The aim of our study is to evaluate this initiative. By conducting a survey directed at youths and health professionals at youth clinics in Stockholm, we were able to show that knowledge of the new word had spread and that changes in the oppressive cultural beliefs connected to virginity and female sexuality in part can be connected to the word. The study thus supports the claim that initiatives aimed at changing vocabulary can be effective in changing cultural concepts. Feminist language activism initiatives are thus usable as part of feminist political work to promote women's sexual rights and gender equality.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Equinox Publishing, 2018. Vol. 12, no 3, p. 294-317
Keywords [en]
Feminist language activism, Hymen, Vaginal corona, Patriarchy, Sexual rights
National Category
General Language Studies and Linguistics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-70046DOI: 10.1558/genl.31894ISI: 000447928800004Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85055795375OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-70046DiVA, id: diva2:1261350
Available from: 2018-11-07 Created: 2018-11-07 Last updated: 2023-12-08Bibliographically approved

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Melander, Ida

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  • apa
  • ieee
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  • Other style
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  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
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Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf