As long as I can remember, I thought everything was wrong with my physical makeup, but especially that I was too fat and that my vulva looked how it did because I was fat. In my mind it was the only explanation as to why I had full, round labia majora and a very small tucked away clitoris and labia minora. I didn't know how to change how I looked, and so, begrudgingly lived with my vulva. When I became sexual, I felt relieved that no one commented on my vulva, however, I dissociated and so struggled to enjoy myself. In my early adulthood, a "friend" followed me into the bathroom and confronted me about my vulva on behalf of her boyfriend, who had seen a peek through my pajama shorts and apparently had "never seen one like mine" and was baffled. I was mortified. Their confronting me validated my fear that there was something wrong with my vulva, and it made me feel so much shame. I've been working on self acceptance, but It wasn't until I found The Vulva Gallery that the love for my vulva blossomed. She's been awakened and was forgiving of my negativity and neglect. She is beautiful and round, just like the rest of my beautiful, round body. I hope that sharing my vulva portrait will help someone with healing and acceptance, the way the other portraits shared on The Vulva Gallery helped me.

J. - 31 years old