Today we see several
surgeons offering promises of tightening the vagina with resultant improvement
in sexual satisfaction.
“There is plenty of
patient interest in this procedure”, says a surgeon who performs vaginoplasty surgery in Maryland.
“Women come to me not just for cosmetic reasons. Some of them complain of
experiencing discomfort while wearing tight pants during activities like
cycling”.
It is true girls are
seeking surgery on their private parts because of certain insecurities.
“Such vulnerabilities
are stemming from the ubiquitous adult content over the internet”, says a
doctor of vaginoplasty Westminster MD.
Doctors do their bit.
They try to educate their patients by telling them that all girls do not look
the same down there.
“We recommend
labiaplasty only to girls who have medical abnormalities”, says an MD based
gynecologist.
Labiaplasty is a
surgical procedure that alters the inner labia and outer labia, which are the folds
surrounding the vulva.
Requests for surgery
can be due to the following reasons:
- Aesthetic
- Functional
impairment
- Both
aesthetic and functional impairment
For many women
aesthetic concerns constitute the core reason. It can be all about their
perceived image of what looks good. Functional reasons can include:
- Hygiene
concerns
- Pain
and discomfort during activities like sexual intercourse, sports, biking,
and walking
But is there a
relationship between genital self image and sexual health?
This is a difficult
question to answer.
It is possible that
favorable genital perceptions and sexual esteem go together. Women with
positive body image express positive attitudes towards sex.
This can be one
compelling reason why vaginoplasty is justifiable.
Yet, in societies, it
is a taboo topic. Although a decision to get a vaginal makeover is purely
personal, socio-cultural context can be significant.
Looseness of vagina
can be perceived as evidence of frequent sexual intercourse with multiple
sexual partners. This perception needs to be removed.
Importantly, women
must be educated about the wide range of genital diversity.
Unfortunately, the
media may be playing a negative role in contributing to inappropriate desires
in impressionable women.
Pornography, in
particular, is increasing exposure to select images of women’s genital parts.
It is possible that
the actors in pornography might have got their genitals altered by cosmetic
surgery to emulate an ideal perception.
A sociologist rightly
pointed out, “Realistic depictions of nudity will not have a negative impact.
They contain discreet detail with no emphasis on any particular element of the
vagina”.
Yes, at the same time
we must agree that the society must recognize the autonomy of women and also the
responsible role of surgical interventions that are available in the market.
At
the same time, it is also the responsibility of the medical profession to
educate women properly.
