art by the amazing Miranda Makaroff
TAKE BACK THE SPECULUM
OXFORD, UK: MAY 2, 2025
LONDON, UK: MAY 4, 2025
LOS ANGELES, CA: JUNE 14, 2025
ONLINE: JUNE 28, 2025
Let’s talk about bodily autonomy, shall we?
Let’s talk about all the ways we are taught from the beginning to surrender our authority, our knowing, our opinions, our comfort, and, far too often, our health in the presence of Expertise.
And then let’s flip all that shit on its head.
Take Back the Speculum is a crash course in body literacy and sex education for grown ass people who never received the transformative, agency focused, pleasure centered, gender affirming initiation into powerful adult embodiment that their sex ed should have been.
We continue the powerful tradition of self-help at the center of the feminist health and reproductive justice movements, and we stand on the shoulders of our elders and ancestors in this work.
Join me for a 3 hour deep dive into everything you need to know to reclaim your innate powers, connect with your body, take the reins of your destiny, & make sure your doctor knows that they’re working for you.
You’re invited. Because it’s never too late.
Class covers:
a medically accurate, gender inclusive overview of the full spectrum of healthy sexual anatomy (& the destruction of the misogynist, racist bs materials most commonly used to educate us *and* our providers)
an invitation to participate in the Gallery that Destroys All Shame
a demonstration of a cervical self exam
an opportunity for all participants to examine themselves with guidance (and, if desired and permitted, observe others)
This class is open to & appropriate for all human beings with internal sexual anatomy. This is an explicitly queer and trans-inclusive space.
Trans/nonbinary/gender expansive fam, you are honored here - pls come get the info you need to get the care you deserve.
“I’m forever changed by the experience of TBTS, and dream of the day when teenagers are able to bear witness to a show-and-tell experience so that they never have to endure the decades of self-loathing that so many of us go through.”
Registration for TBTS is a 2 part process:
1) Fill out the registration form below, AND
2) Send your chosen payment from within the sliding scale - £40-60 GBP, or $55-80 USD - over Venmo or Paypal.
Please consider your access to wealth and ability to pay, and choose the amount within the sliding scale that is appropriate and in integrity for you. Thank you!
(If you use Paypal, please select Friends and Family if you can, or else account for the fees by adding a little extra - thank you!)
Scholarships are always available as needed - please contact me to discuss this.
No one turned away for lack of $, ever.
Speculums will be provided for all in-person classes.
If you are in the US want to order yours online, single speculums in all sizes can be ordered here.
*Medium speculums are the standard size used in all gynecological clinics. I recommend a small if you have ever experienced pain or discomfort with penetration in any context, and a long/large if you know that your cervix can be difficult to find with your finger. You cannot go wrong if you order all 3 available sizes!
Please note that all registered participants will receive an email with all information to join within the week before the class.
Please contact me if you would like to bring this workshop to your community!
Some feedback from participants:
“You delivered on your promise for us to come further into our sovereignty. From the welcoming space, the asking of pronouns, the introductions, the history lessons, the welcoming of all body types, the open nature of sharing or not sharing as we choose, the lessons on consent thereby experienced.
It was a really fantastic and invigorating event. Thank you for teaching us so fearlessly.” - GF, L.A.
“Last night I had the immense pleasure of getting to learn how to do #selfexams. I also learned a lot about my own fears and traumas on a deeply visceral level. I have always had a fear of vaginal pain & it got worse after my very first #papsmear at the age of 17. I had never been penetrated by anything much less something like a speculum. [The doctor] also used the wrong size for me. She was so rough and mean and I left feeling like I couldn't walk properly. I cried on the table and on the way home. Little did I know that even though it grossly common for people to feel this way after exams, IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE. You can have good experiences around your #sexualhealth and #reproductivehealth. Last night, I had a lot of emotional stuff come up for me around sexual violence, experiences of oppression around being #queer and #trans so I wasn't able to get as far as my little brain was telling me I *should* be able to go, but I know eventually it will come. At its own sweet pace. I want to share my deepest love and gratitude to Pamela of @embodyworkla & everyone who held loving and tender space to me as I went through this process in a safe and trans affirming way. ” - D, NYC
“I took very few photos at Burning Man but one of my most proud moments was helping some new friends get to know their own bodies by showing them how to look at their own cervixes. Even within a group of sex positive and body positive people we are still so distant from this important part of our anatomy. Im so grateful we had a space to use that was enclosed and wind free keeping the dust away. I am grateful for the friends who participated and shared with me, and I’m so grateful to @embodyworkla for lighting the spark with her workshop last month and the empowerment I feel that came from it.” - MJ, NYC