Would you shave your pubic hair to cure cervical cancer? I would. And plenty of you out there are no doubt hair-free already, so it’s not such a big deal at all.
The problem is, of course, that shaving your pubes won’t cure cervical cancer at all. And yet the Canadian Cancer Society is asking women to do just that, despite concerns that their latest campaign is inappropriate and largely futile. As Jezebel reports:
According to the Globe and Mail, the month-long campaign, known a “Julyna,” was inspired by the event Movember, which involved men growing mustaches and asking friends and family to pledge money toward prostate cancer research. For Julyna, women are asked to solicit donations from loved ones for waxing or shaving a design into their pubes.
Interesting. But as far as I’m concerned, in rather poor taste.
Now, let’s get one thing straight: I’m no prude. I enjoy discussing vaginas as much as the next person. And yes, I did support Feel Them Up Friday, an online breast cancer campaign that encouraged women to examine their own breasts, which received some criticism for its use of ‘sexual’ language. But FTUF had a purpose – to use non-threatening, colloquial terms to demystify breast examination and persuade women to check themselves out. And it was successful. More than one woman discovered a lump that might otherwise have gone unnoticed, and has FTUF to thank.