Notices by Vagina Museum (vagina_museum@masto.ai)

Menopause was seldom discussed in the past, except potentially in one area: witch myths. Witch myths are intrinsically linked to stereotypes about women ageing. In our Menopause exhibition, we invite our visitors to create a menopausal witch. Here's our faves this week.

We're thrilled to unveil our newest project: Lip Service. Lip Service is a zine created by and for our community. Our inaugural issue focuses on menopause, expanding on themes covered by our exhibition with fiction, visual art and commentary. https://vaginamuseumshop.co.uk/products/lip-service-issue-1-menopause

Our first print run of Lip Service is very limited edition, so grab a print copy while they're still there. You can also enjoy a digital download of the zine for just £3 https://vaginamuseumshop.co.uk/products/lip-service-issue-1-menopause

And with the launch of Lip Service comes a brand spanking new perk for Cliterati members. As well as other fanny-tastic benefits like big discounts and exclusive insider events, you'll also get free digital copies of Lip Service! Join the fold for just £6 a month. https://www.vaginamuseum.co.uk/member

Happy Easter, it's time for yet more Jesus vagina content. This time, let's look at Jesus *in* a vagina https://masto.ai/@vagina_museum/110168921500052009

A statement from the Board of Trustees of the Vagina Museum regarding trans inclusion.

The Vagina Museum is trans inclusive. We always have been and we always will be. As long as there's a Vagina Museum, we cannot be bullied or bought to change our stance on this.

First of all, we're pretty sure other museums don't get this question. It's pretty obvious that you don't need to be a dinosaur to visit the Natural History Museum, or an absolute unit of a sheep to visit the Museum of English Rural Life, or a [joke redacted] to visit the British Museum.

Being a museum dedicated to vaginas, we get more than our fair share of weird FAQs. One of the weirder ones is this: "Do I need to have a vagina to visit?" The answer is no!!! We're open to all genders and genital configurations! Here's why...

Secondly, it's invasive af to check what genitals someone has. Seriously. What a weird request.

But most of all, everyone benefits from learning about vaginas, vulvas and the gynaecological anatomy. Whether you've got all or some of the bits yourself. We cover the topics which don't necessarily get taught elsewhere. And *everyone* benefits from having this information.

Following our endometriosis exhibition, we had feedback from patients who had taken their loved ones with them, and found that their loved ones now better understood their condition. It's as crucial to understand things that you aren't directly affected by as understanding things which you *are*.

And there's the smaller scale wins, too. Honourable mention to the teenager whose reaction to our display on the anatomy of the clitoris was "I'm gonna get so good at fingering now". We're happy for you and your future partners.

However many holes you have, you're welcome at the Vagina Museum. And we'll never be gatekeeping our visitors based on their genitalia.

The history of the menopause industry is relatively short. Menopause was largely invisible up until the 19th century, and it wasn't until the mid 20th century that there was any product to sell. The discovery of HRT medicines at this time was the birth of the industry.

How rich is your menopause making someone else? In 2024, the global menopause market of pharmaceuticals and diet supplements alone was valued at almost 18 billion USD, and this number is projected to keep on rising.

Marketing of these new wonder drugs was aggressive and came from all angles. HRT was marketed to doctors as the key to curing their patients. And it was marketed directly to consumers, sometimes highly unethically.

In the early 2000s, HRT fell from favour and uptake plummeted. This was due to a widely-reported clinical trial. Even though the results of the study were misreported and the harms of HRT were overstated, it took a while for people to start taking HRT again.

This left an enormous gap in the market for the alternative health industry to take a slice of the menopause pie.

Here's an example of unethical mid 20th century direct-to-consumer HRT marketing. "Feminine Forever" by Robert A. Wilson advocated fiercely for "the eradication of menopause" via HRT. It later transpired he had been secretly paid by the manufacturers of Premarin, an HRT drug.

The majority of that 18 billion USD menopause market is not pharmaceutical drugs, but dominated by dietary supplements such as vitamin pills and probiotics. The evidence for these supplements is varied. Some are demonstrably useful, some might be helpful depending on preparation, and some probably don't do anything at all.