Posted by Dr. Heather, Washington on April 2, 2010:

You don't have to publish this post, but every time I see a professional like yourself misname the external female genitalia as "vagina" I am forced to respond. You wouldn't like your penis called a foreskin would you? The lovely external female body parts are called the Vulva. The Vagina is the internal portion and its quite a feat to take a photograph of it. Its an issue of sexual and cultural shame and Victorian prudery that we cannot even give the correct names to women's intimate body parts. Off my soapbox.

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We can only go with what the source story told us -- we didn't name the part in question. Since we didn't see the photo ourselves, we can only hope that the professional journalists got it right -- at the very least getting the information copied correctly from police reports. That said, we're fairly confident that readers understood the concept, even if we're sympathetic to your point. -rc

Posted by Judi M., Glendale AZ on April 2, 2010:

OMIGOD, Heather, HEAR YOU ROAR! I love it! I cannot believe the look on people's faces at the word "Vulva." Sadly, I gave up trying to correct people! Maybe you have provided the incentive I need to get back to it!

I'm sure vagina was used in the police report!

BTW, vulva is a great scrabble word too! :P

Posted by Lenny, Hialeah, Fl. on April 2, 2010:

What if it was a picture of the labia majoris and the vagina at the same time. I think I heard about this. She was operating a "Lost and Find" as a service to the guy who claimed he found a watch in there. And he was only looking for his ring.

Posted by Jo Anne, Ontario on April 2, 2010:

LMAO @ Randy's response to Dr. Heather!

Posted by Joan, Henderson, NV on April 2, 2010:

"Accidentally" sent a picture of an intimate body part? This is why you should ALWAYS check over your messages before you hit "send". Unless it was "accidentally on purpose".

Posted by Bob, Kentucky on April 3, 2010:

I don't care what you want to call it - if it looked like what one can imagine from her photo it must have been one scary picture!

Posted by Mike from Dallas on April 4, 2010:

If Dr. Heather is disappointed in the terminology in the story, she'll be positively apoplectic over the incredible variety of names we normally use for both the male and female genitalia in real life.

Posted by Peter, Prague, Bohemia on April 4, 2010:

Indeed, Mike. And add to that every language that has many a variation for naming this body part, ranging from the most miniscule to th most vulgar... A book could be written about this.

Why, indeed, at least one had been written, albeit in Czech. See for yourself, ISBN 80-86862-28-3

Posted by eileen in san jose, ca on April 8, 2010:

If she's crying in her mugshot, does that make it harder to I.D. her later?

Posted by Robert in Missouri on April 9, 2010:

Sounds like two idiots in need of clue-by-fours upside their heads, but that's my opinion.