Health and Well-being of Young People 2010

There is a commonly held view, despite polling evidence to the contrary, that most people are offended by nudity and think that some parts of the body are so inherently shameful that they must be kept secret. It allows people who are embarrassed by the human body to wield influence out of all proportion to their numbers and for taboos and prejudice to take precedence over social good. The euphemism “naughty bits” clearly illustrates the problem.

The consequences of body embarrassment are well established and the mechanisms well understood but there is incredible reluctance to face up to the implications.