A new safe seχ guide for the LGBTQ community includes the term “front hole” as an alternative to “νagina.”
The health website Healthline, along with the Gay, Lesbiαn and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Advocates for Youth, has published the LGBTQIA Safe Seχ Guide, which expands current safe seχ terminology.
“Traditional safe seχ guides are often structured in a way that presumes everyone’s gender (male/female/nonbinary/trans) is the same as the seχ they were assigned at birth (male/female/interseχ or differences in seχual development),” reads a statement on Healthline. “These guides also often unnecessarily gender body parts as being ‘male parts’ and ‘female parts’ and refer to ‘seχ with women’ or ‘seχ with men,’ excluding those who identify as nonbinary. Many individuals don’t see body parts as having a gender — people have a gender. …
“For the purposes of this guide, we’ve chosen to include alternative words for readers to use for their geηitals,” the statement continues. “For example, some trans men choose to use the words ‘front hole’ or ‘internal geηital’ instead of ‘νagina.’ Alternatively, some trans women may say ‘strapless’ or ‘girl d***’ for peηis. This usage is meant for one-on-one communication with trusted persons, such as your doctor or partner, not for broad discussion.”
The term “front hole” was recommended in a November study of 10 transgender men published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. The study identified cultural and logistical barriers to the reproductive needs of transgender men, who for example get pregnant and give birth, and, as a result, face discrimination.
Two key recommendations for physicians, concluded researchers, are to use alternative terms such as “chest feeding” in place of “breastfeeding” and “front hole” for “νagina.” Lead researcher Alexis Hoffkling, MD, did not return Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment.
Healthline’s new guide does not merely offer a more sensitive way to communicate — as the site points out, people whose identity isn’t represented culturally or statistically may not get adequate health care.
The safe sex guide caught lots of flak on Twitter.
