Sisters, I must forewarn you that I'm going a bit out there today. Unless you have been under my care as a patient, this one may make you say, No, she didn't!'. And yes, this does fall under the auspices of Gracefully Female because it addresses emotional health. I'm just saying. Okay, one thing that truly amazes me is the awkwardness that many women have with their own vaginas. Seriously, there are women who can't say the word vagina! Now, I can feel some of you cringing already, but come on!!! There are numerous women who come in for an evaluation and the ailment is reportedly down there'. On my exasperated Are You Kidding Me days, I ask are they referring to their knee.  Ladies, the vagina, is a body part. It is an organ made by our Creator that has a function like every other organ (except, maybe the appendix) that we have. It is not a secret garden, it is not private (though truly it should not be going public if you know what I mean) and it certainly is not feline or amphibious!! (Okay, now I am laughing a little) Other than our breast and buttocks, what other body part is commonly referred to by a nickname? Maybe I am just too darn clinical, but the inability to say the name ascribed to one of our female reproductive organs speaks volumes about women's and societies continued discomfort with addressing female sexual health. Funny, I can't get through a male sporting event on television without having to hear about problems of erectile dysfunction on a regular. Sure, some people were taught to call their reproductive parts by varying names and there is always a place for modesty, but while at the doctor's office behind a closed door where you've made an appointment because this organ is not doing something you like and you have had kids, could you whisper vagina to me, please?! Trust me, ladies, I mean no disrespect. I am merely trying to liberate you from the unnecessary discomfort of feeling ashamed of your vagina. I tell my patients all the time, think of the vagina as if it was an elbow'. (And for those of you, who have heard me say this, trust the book is coming one day). If your elbow, tooth or eye were bothering you, it would be odd for you to not keep eye contact and tell your healthcare provider what was wrong.  Okay, I get it; some may feel my rant today is a bit skewed because I say it all day long. Not true, because I was made vagina conscious as a child. Where I thought it was located wasn't exactly right, but I was aware that I had one. It is crucial for parents to use anatomical terms when discussing body parts with their children and try not to promote unhealthy attitudes about the vagina and other reproductive organs. Though it is one of the physical characteristics that distinguishes us as women, the vagina, like other organs, has ailments, likes and dislikes that have to be addressed on occasion. I therefore encourage you to remove it from unmentionable status and go forth saying: VA-GI-NA!