Top medical journal blasts "designer vagina" craze

[Guest echtrae]

One of the world's most prestigious health journals has lashed a fast-growing trend in the United States and Britain for "designer vaginas," the tabloid term for cosmetic surgery to the female genitalia.

After I got over the thought that this was crazy, I began wondering why someone would truly think they needed to do something like this.

Top medical journal blasts "designer vagina" craze

[Nanaea]

We've discussed this topic already (here), but the topic is now closed. It's no less disturbing a trend now than it was then, IMO.

Vulva Velvet has a section devoted to pictures of a wide variety of vulvas if you want to get an idea of what 'normal' is.

[StoryJunkie]

now you two. no squabbling. I can spank through the internet, and I have ectrae's soul. I may do something to it. the other article was about female genitalia mutilation, which, kind of makes me want to puke, but this is, I think, about having something done to something you think is unsightly. I suppose that this is the effect of increased incidence of oral sex in the population, or some guy, (like Bob Hope), saying something: "Man, I thought that was just a crappy set of balls!" when he saw a photo of labia that were rather...hangy. I mean, if a guy is going to criticize something like that, or a woman sees that in the mirror for the first time and thinks: "ew, that looks gross" (and people do), they want to change something on their bodies, it's like removing a mole as far as I can see. If it's done because their parents make them, and the clit is removed, I think I'd protest like it was 1969.

[Rezalda]

I think that if getting surgery will make a woman feel better about herself, then she can. However, I think we also need to take a look at a society that tells us our sexual organs aren't attractive enough. It's bad enough that we're hearing our waists aren't small enough, our breasts aren't big enough, or our muscles aren't prominent enough--now we're undergoing pressure to have our most intimate and pleasurable areas changed so that they "look better."

I think it's wonderful that there are website like Vulva Velvet that teach people how to appreciate the beauty of vulvae.

By the way, I understand it's not only women who are under pressure to make their genitalia "attractive." I often hear people say that circumcised or uncircumcised penises look "better" and that argue for one or the other based simply on how it makes a penis look.

I'm not saying that penises or vulvae that have been operated on look "ugly" or "unnatural," of course. And obviously, sometimes people have their genitalia modified for health or comfort reasons.

I just think people need to stop pushing one shape and size as the image of a "perfect" penis or vulva.

[Nanaea]

now you two. no squabbling. I can spank through the internet, and I have ectrae's soul. I may do something to it. the other article was about female genitalia mutilation, which, kind of makes me want to puke, but this is, I think, about having something done to something you think is unsightly.

Actually, SJ, that other thread was about elective cosmetic surgery, but FGM was touched on as well.

[Guest Agaib]

I suppose people are free to do as they choose. I don't really care what other people do to their own bodies to make them look better or uglier, however, I refuse to make any promises regarding how much it'll really improve My image of them.

I think a person that has reasonably normal genitals that is obsessed with their supposed "unsightliness" has a problem. In My eyes, the problem isn't that people change their genitals, its that people desire to. The desire to "fix" yourself I think can be used within reason, but it can easily become pathological. If you judge your self worth or if you think that the only way you can make someone love you is by fixing your genitals, there's likely a psychological problem.

[Leonhart29]

When I was younger (a lot younger) I took a first look "down there" and almost had kittens. It was the scariest thing I think I ever saw, and I wouldn't even put on a swim suit because someone might see something they shouldn't. You know what? The older I got the more comfortable I got with myself and what I was given by my parents. I'm not abnormal by any stretch of the imagination, but to a young girl (or boy) it's still a bit of a shocker. Some people never grow out of it... hence the designer vaginas and penile implants. My ex didn't help either... he actually asked the doctor to slip in a few extra stitches after I had my first kid. That's not a big help either. Suffice it to say, when one isn't happy in their own skin they'll do drastic things to make it "better". Stupid, defacing and completely wrong, but it's there any way. It's the society we live in... be thinner, sexier and beautiful even down south. What really needs to happen is the instillation of self-worth and self-esteem, but sadly that's not going to line doctor's pockets now is it?

[DodgeSuperBee]

I suppose that this is the effect of increased incidence of oral sex in the population,

I'd blame it on either that or the extreme shaving trend, because I'm guessing back in the days when few women shaved that region and everyone's goods were obscured by hair, there wasn't much of a chance to "compare" yourself to the women nearby in the locker room.

I grew up thinking we girls had it much easier than guys because I assumed we were more or less all the same down there, whereas guys might be teased for being shorter or smaller than average.

[Guest Yhitzak]

from the article:

The BMJ piece suggests genitoplasty is a classic example of where commercial, media and social pressures artificially create a problem, fuel concern over it and then put forward a solution for it.

That's really *all* that needs to be said about this. This is absolutely *nothing* more than a case of the 'media' creating a problem and the medical industry jumping to the fore to 'solve' it. The 'ask your doctor' campaign has really hit an all-time low.

Although I have to admit that by far the most disturbing notion put forth by this article is the idea of prepubescents being attractive. Who the fuck looks at JC Penny's latest catalogue and checks out the teeny-boppers twats!? Really!? I suddenly feel really, *really* good about my sexuality. But the idea of the aesthetic of the genitals... give me a break!