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Sex differences in the naming of children's genitalia

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Abstract

Children's knowledge of human genital anatomy was examined retrospectively. Of the 223 adults who responded to a questionnaire on this subject, 39.8% of males and 29% of females learned correct anatomical names for male genitalia as children. In contrast, only 6.1% of females and 17.7% of males learned correct names for female genitalia. Most respondents learned either euphemisms or no names for female genitalia as children. Whereas male respondents acquired a complete vocabulary for male genitalia by a mean age of 11.5 years, female respondents did not complete their anatomical vocabulary for female genitalia until a mean age of 15.6 years. The importance of recognizing that children have erotic experiences and that they need a vocabulary for describing their feelings is discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA

    Nanette Gartrell

  2. The Cambridge Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA

    Diane Mosbacher

Authors
  1. Nanette Gartrell
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  2. Diane Mosbacher
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Additional information

The authors wish to thank Amy Hook and Dr. Gregory Gartrell for statistical assistance in the preparation of this manuscript. The authors would also like to express appreciation to Drs. Camille Lloyd, Lois Biener, and Joe Pleck for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this manuscript.

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Gartrell, N., Mosbacher, D. Sex differences in the naming of children's genitalia. Sex Roles 10, 869–876 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288510

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288510

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