A campaign backed by presenter and fitness enthusiast, Davina McCall, has successfully fought to have 'virgin speculums' (the smallest version of the instrument used to look inside the vagina and cervix during a smear test) renamed. They will now simply be known as 'extra small speculums' and are an option for those who feel they'd be more comfortable during the exam with a slimmer device.
The term 'virgin speculum' is believed to have originated in the mid-19th Century, after being coined by the inventor, James Marion Sims, who advocated that the smaller instrument would be best suited to unmarried women (read: those who've not yet had penetrative sex). Because, err, obviously we all know that as soon as you have sex for the first time your vagina suddenly quadruples in size and can accommodate a freight train. Right? (Kidding, obviously).
Campaigners, led by the Lady Garden Foundation, have since staunchly put forward the case that naming a medical instrument so that it correlates with a woman's sexual history is not only inaccurate, but demeaning and harmful too. And I'm very much in agreement with that.
Seriously, why are we as a society just so bloody obsessed with girls and women having 'purity' – that must be preserved – to such an extent that an incorrect speculum may even be opted for during a life-saving medical exam? How come men aren't expected to guard their virginity, like it's some kind of precious jewel with great relevance to their 'worth' – and yet we are? And, if the Andrew Tates of the world are to be believed, why should the number of people a woman has been intimate have any bearing on the amount of respect she deserves?
Jenny Halpern Prince, of the Lady Garden Foundation, said the change in name is a welcome and positive one, and that she hopes it will stop the 'false narrative' that smear tests are painful and sexual, which could create "potentially deadly barriers".
Sadly at the moment, NHS figures show the number of females attending their cervical screening tests is at its lowest in a decade. The screenings (which are so important as they could literally save your life, and honestly last just a couple of minutes) are offered to all those with a vagina and cervix between the ages of 25 and 64, yet less than seven in ten had the test last year.
Everyone's clicking on...
Here's hoping that the more we neutralise the language surrounding female health, to empower and destigmatise, the better the uptake will be in future. And let's keep the references to a patient's sexual history reserved solely for when it's absolutely essential, yeah?
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Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
