Does the word vagina make you blush, or is the term no longer taboo?

Once a word mentioned only in hushed tones, vagina will be beamed into lounge rooms around the country in a new television advertisement from today.

The Carefree ad features a naked woman, covered by a flower, telling females about normal body function. "Even that bit of discharge in between our period is our body working to keep the vagina healthy," the actor says, in what is thought to be the first use of the word in a New Zealand ad.

Carefree is selling a new underwear liner and says its campaign aims to break down taboos around female health, and encourage the correct names for women's body parts.

Wellington beauty writer Joanna Hubris said she was frustrated by ads that called the vagina "down there". "As part of owning your body, you need to feel comfortable using words to describe it. A vagina is nothing to be ashamed of, and something we should talk about," she said.

Canterbury University marketing senior lecturer Ekant Veer said society was becoming more relaxed about nudity, sex and the vagina. But there would always be a line to be drawn. although it would not be clear where, until after the ad.

"There are certain words you definitely would not have on adverts, like some swear words, but this is a body part. We are talking about something that every woman deals with on a regular basis." It was difficult to know if the advertisement was actually breaking a taboo, or if society had already made the word comfortable in conversation, he said.

While advertisers might be comfortable with the word, its use still causes controversy here and overseas.

In the US, a politician was thrown out of an abortion debate last month after referring to her vagina, and an ad campaign for FemFresh caused an uproar in Britain for selling feminine hygiene products for women's "hoo-haa", while here, a "beaver" advert caused a backlash from viewers in 2009 when it depicted a woman going about her daily routine with a beaver. It drew dozens of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, most centred on men leering at the beaver, the offensive use of American slang for female genitalia, and screening when children could be watching. The advertiser defended the advertisement with research that showed half of women were reluctant to talk about the vagina, and the complaints were not upheld.

A company representative said the Carefree ad would only screen after 7pm although it had a rating that meant it could be broadcast at any time except during children's programmes.

Commercial Approvals Bureau general manager Rob Hoar said his organisation was not a censor, but was concerned at protecting young children from potentially offensive ads.

He could not comment on the ad, but said there was a list of words generally not allowed, and he was not aware vagina was ever on it.

"I can't see the use of the word would cause huge amounts of stress, given the context. If it was in a beer commercial, it might be a different matter."