From as far back as I can remember, a deep-seated shame coiled within me, centered around a part of my body no one talked about. My labia, or “lips down there” as I secretly called them, seemed disproportionately large to me. In a world where beauty standards, even unspoken ones, felt impossibly perfect, mine felt like a grotesque anomaly. I was convinced I was a ‘monstrosity,’ a word that echoed in my head, making me believe no one would ever truly desire or love me if they ever saw it. This belief was a constant, heavy weight on my young shoulders, crushing my self-esteem.
My Secret Shame: How I Almost Harmed Myself Over Body Insecurity
Published Anonymously
Submitted by a real person and published with their consent. Identity is never revealed.