Trend: Would you sculpt your pubic hair for a good cause?

It’s the female version of Movember, only instead of growing facial hair, Julyna involves growing and shaping your pubic hair. An article from the Toronto Star reports that a group of Toronto women decided to create the event, which is supported by the Canadian Cancer Society, after seeing how many women in their lives were affected by cervical cancer. They landed on the idea for gals to raise funds by pledging to sculpt your public hair into weird shapes. Despite the good cause, I’m not sure how popular this will be’sculpting anodd shape down there just isn’t something that appeals to me. But the event founders say they think the bawdiness of the idea will help promote awareness.

"We hope the humour will help women feel comfortable talking about cervical cancer and talking about that area," event founder and a Toronto nurse, Vanessa Wilson told the Star.

But a lot of people (mostly men) are already asking: How will you prove you sculpted that region? Good question, considering the physical evidence of a woman’s participation will go unseen by the public. Unfortunately, I’m sure there will be jokes and comments suggesting women show the proof. It makes me wonder if the sexual nature of the fundraising event distracts from the actual cause itself. If money is raised for charity does it matter how?

Waxing and sculpting ideas can be found on the event’s website. Design templates will also soon to be available on the Facebook page, and will include the Charlie Chaplin, the Movember and the Barbara Bush. That’s definitely a funny (yet weird) way to show your support. Ultimately, asking how a woman will prove she’s participating in Julyna and which template she used aren’t the kinds of questions I think we should be asking when it comes to cervical cancer. It’s a great idea to create more awareness about this disease, but what we really need to know is how to protect our health and ensure we’re tested properly.

Recently, a study was published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology which found that many doctors in the U.S. are ignoring the guidelines for who needs a cervical cancer virus test. As a result of doctors testing too frequently or even using the wrong tests, a lot of women are getting unnecessary tests. According to an article from Maclean’s, "younger women are supposed to get HPV testing only if a Pap signals a possible problem and doctors really need the extra information."

If we’re trying to raise money and awareness for cervical cancer, I think the place to start should be ensuring proper testing and care procedures are followed within the healthcare industry. With the mix of information out there regarding women’s health, I’m certainly confused as to what I should be tested for, at what age and how often.

Do you think Julyna is a cool and innovative way to raise money for a good cause? Or does it serve to sexualize women’s cancers?

Related:
‘ 6 things you should know about your genital health
‘ Is it safe to get a Brazilian wax?
‘ Should girls get the HPV vaccine?