Cunt: A Declaration of Independence
Encyclopedia
Cunt is a 1998 feminist book by Inga Muscio
Inga Muscio
Inga Muscio, , is a feminist, anti-racist writer and public speaker.She became famous after the publication of her 1998 Seal Press book Cunt: A Declaration of Independence, which called for women to break down boundaries between themselves and their bodies, and each other.She is also the author of...

 that called for a breakdown in the boundaries between women and in sexuality
Human female sexuality
Human female sexuality encompasses a broad range of behaviors and processes, including female sexual identity and sexual behavior, the physiological, psychological, social, cultural, political, and spiritual or religious aspects of sex...

. In it, the writer hopes to reverse the negative connotations behind female genital euphemisms. The books traverses such subjects as menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...

, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...

, and competition between women. The Cuntlovin' Guide to the Universe in the back of the book is an index for information on all topics covered in the book.

Expanded Overview

Muscio begins by discussing the origins of the terms vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...

 and cunt
Cunt
Cunt is a vulgarism, primarily referring to the female genitalia, specifically the vulva, and including the cleft of Venus. The earliest citation of this usage in the 1972 Oxford English Dictionary, c 1230, refers to the London street known as Gropecunt Lane...

. She makes the point that vagina is a medical term referring to a specific part of the female genitalia, while 'cunt,' despite its very negative usage, refers to "the whole package" of womanhood. She explains that 'cunt' is a powerful word, while vagina comes from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 meaning 'sword sheath' and concludes that she "ain't got no vagina".

The next section of the book discusses how women have been made to feel ashamed of menstruation
Menstruation
Menstruation is the shedding of the uterine lining . It occurs on a regular basis in sexually reproductive-age females of certain mammal species. This article focuses on human menstruation.-Overview:...

, often being told that the pain and discomfort they experience is "all in their heads" and that women need to shower every day to avoid the extreme embarrassment of smelling like blood. Muscio described her own experience with a grade school sexual education class during which the boys were sent outside to play baseball while the girls watched a ridiculous video about the "creepy, cootie-laden mystery" of periods. She also attacks companies that produce so-called 'feminine hygiene' products for perpetuating these negative associations and for the high costs of such products. Muscio advocates creating a positive image of menstruation by throwing menarche
Menarche
Menarche is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstrual bleeding, in female human beings. From both social and medical perspectives it is often considered the central event of female puberty, as it signals the possibility of fertility....

 parties, using moon calendars to familiarize oneself with biological rhythms, and reading Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking
Pippi Longstocking is a fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren, and adapted into multiple films and television series...

, a "superlative role model in the fine science of accepting ourselves." The book also suggests alternatives to pads and tampons, such as sea sponges, old cloths, and blood towels.

Next comes the topic of birth control
Birth control
Birth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...

. Muscio tells the stories of the three abortions she has had during her lifetime: two clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...

al abortions and one self-induced abortion. The clinical abortions are described as painful, impersonal experiences that are designed by men for women. Self-induced abortion, by means of abortive herbs, abdominal massages, and so forth, is advocated as being highly preferable to clinical abortions. Muscio also discusses how women's birth control methods can be upsetting and even physically harmful, and instead recommends condoms as a primary form of birth control.

Muscio then delves into the history of prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...

, citing the works of activist Carol Queen
Carol Queen
Carol Queen is an American author, editor, sociologist and sexologist active in the sex-positive feminism movement. Queen has written on human sexuality in books such as Real Live Nude Girl: Chronicles of Sex-Positive Culture...

about the treatment of such women in ancient times, when prostitutes were sacred to some religions. Muscio states the need for women to reclaim 'Whoredom' and work to end the stigma surrounding it.
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