'Designer Vagina' Surgery Is a $5,500 Danger, Gynecologists Say
by Lisa Rappaport , www.bloomberg.com
Opposed today by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists:
• injecting collagen to enhance sexual pleasure into the vaginal wall
• altering the labia
• restoring the hymen
Risks include:
• loss of sensitivity
• infection and pain from permanent scarring
No studies document benefits of these cosmetic procedures, making the risks unacceptable.
Women in the U.S. spent $2.3MM on cosmetic vaginal procedures last year, up 30%, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons - also opposed to the operations.
"For women dissatisfied with their appearance, doctors need to "cover the basics of sex education," and show women pictures of enough vaginas so they see how many different images are normal, " says Gail Wyatt, certified sex therapist, UCLA." Read full article >
More:
 Genital Procedure Draws Warning, Rachel Zimmerman, www.wsj.com
Experts Agree: Vaginoplasty Is Stupid, Unnecessary, & Dangerous, www.jezebel.com
The Perils of 'Designer Vaginas', www.msnbc.com
|
|
In March of 2005, an article was published in the Detroit Metro Times—"Does This Make My Labia Look Fat?" by Sarah Klein. It describes several women's experiences with the laser vaginal rejuvenation surgery. "This is the latest facet of cosmetic surgery—designer vaginas...Elective surgeries that promise a better sex life or more aesthetically pleasing private parts are rapidly gaining popularity—but both the medical community and cultural observers are divided over whether these are valid, beneficial surgeries..." Read the article...
So, while many women don't know what their own vagina looks like, much less what others look like, women getting cosmetic surgery to make theirs look better?? Who knew? I really shouldn't be surprised—we do noses, face-lifts, foreheads, breasts, lips—right, lips.
Before starting on vagina vérité™, I had no idea how different all vaginas are. Each distinctly unique—like faces are, and personalities. Positively no two alike— fascinating and beautiful! Apparently, not everyone thinks so. What do you think?
Recommended read: Vagina Anxiety by Jennifer Armstrong
"Women considering cosmetic vaginal surgery might also want to read up on the international campaign against female genital mutilation, procedures among some African, Middle Eastern and Asian cultures that often involve cutting or stretching of the labia and inserting corrosive substances into the vagina to make it tighter or narrower. Sound familiar? The World Health Organization and UNICEF, among others, have been actively lobbying for the elimination of genital mutilation, which may be performed on infants, children and teenagers. While this campaign continues to make progress, women in this country are paying doctors for what many think is a high-tech version of the practice. It's something to think about."—Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert, Her Body: The Perils of 'Designer Vaginas', www.msnbc.com
And, read what women are saying about designer vaginas.
|
