Labiaplasty is the most coomon form of female genital cosmetic surgery and involves surgical reduction of the labia minora or the inner lips of the vulva.
However we still don’t really know what impact the procedure has on the lives of women who choose to have it. This is not that surprising given female genitals are still considered taboo. The words “vulva” and “vagina” are difficult to say for most people, never mind an entire discussion on the topic!
But these questions can be addressed through research. A latest study, shows although women are pleased with how their genitals look after labiaplasty, their self-esteem and general sexual confidence do not improve. This sort of information is vital to help women weigh up whether labial surgery is the right option for them.
Rising Rates of Labiaplasty
Labiaplasty has become increasingly popular over the last 10 to 15 years in Western countries, including in Australia. From 2001 to 2013, the number of these procedures more than doubled from 640 to 1605 in public patients across Australia. These numbers do not include women undergoing procedures in the private sector, for whom we have no national data.
Although there is a common misconception teenagers are the age group most interested in labiaplasty, women are most often aged between 25 and 34 when they undergo surgery.
Why Do Women Undergo ‘The Barbie Surgery’?
Although there are physical or functional reasons for having labiaplasty (discomfort participating in sports like cycling or during sexual intercourse ), most women do it due to reported unhappiness with their genital appearance.
Women desire a smooth genital surface, with labia minora (the inner lips) that do not protrude beyond the labia majora (the outer lips). As a result, this surgery is sometimes nicknamed the "Barbgie surgery" as these dolls have no obvious genital features.
The way women’s genitals are portrayed in the media – particularly in pornography and on the internet – may be promoting this “ideal”. And men appear to be picking up on this too, prompting some to criticize their partner’s genitals. As a result, an increasing number of women are becoming concerned their genitals are unacceptable and need to be surgically altered.
But what happens to women after undergoing labiaplasty – do they really get what they were hoping for?
Labiaplasty Won’t Fix Your Sex Life
In a recent research published in "Plastic and Reconstructicve Surgery", women experienced significant improvements in satisfaction with their genital appearance from pre- to post-surgery, but no significant improvements in self-esteem and sexual confidence.
Labiaplasty is often advertised online as a way for women to restore self-confidence and esteem, and improve their sexual relationships. Instead, it appears although labiaplasty allows women to stop worrying about their genital appearance, it does not radically change how they view themselves and their intimate relationships.
Although further investigation is required, these women may have had unrealistic expectations for how labiaplasty might improve their psychological well-being or their relationship with their partner.
Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com
