The Boom in Female Genital Surgery: Causes and Consequences

Female genital surgery is becoming one of the cosmetic operations that are increasing. In a society of cult of the body, perfect vaginas and vulvas are sought, which defy gravity and the passage of time.

That is why genital surgery, although still representing 1.5% of interventions in the State, is the fastest growing.

The most demanded interventions are those that modify the shape and dimensions of the genitals. The labia minora are reduced and the major ones are remodeled, liposuctions of the mount of Venus are made when it loses firmness, and virginity is restored.

But why this boom?

Although there are no two identical vaginas, society intends to establish a beauty canon for the genitals. Until now these issues were only of concern to men, but currently, there is an anatomical ideal for female organs in which laser rejuvenation, pubic and clitoral cap lifts, reduction of the labia minora, and bleaching of the area are done.

This increase is due to the coincidence in time of sexual freedom and a rebirth of a macho model that infantilizes the female genitals. The "perfect pubis" has no hair, or anything that stands out, and the fact that women go shaved implies exposing the "imperfections" in the area.

Another objective is to have more pleasant sex, so some clinics expand what is known as G-spot with injections of hyaluronic acid or fat from the patient; and it treats vaginismus, a disorder in which involuntary contraction prevents penetration.

Surgery that promises to restore virginity is also being extended, performing a hymen reconstruction.

The problem in teenage girls

The adolescent girls, under the influence of the hormones of puberty, are subjected to a rapid transformation of their genital tissues. This can lead them to wonder if their body is normal, and they can express their dissatisfaction with regard to appearance, size, or symmetry.

Often the desire to improve the physical conditions that they perceive as defective is aggravated by the fact of being subjected to strong tensions due to the social conceptions of the ideal female body, or the parents' concern for the perfection of the body.

Although reconstruction procedures aimed at correcting anomalies (caused by congenital defects, trauma, infections or diseases).

The advice and guidance of adolescents with these concerns requires a broad and reflective approach, a special knowledge of normal physical and psychosocial growth, and an evaluation of the physical maturity and emotional disposition of the patient.

Teenagers who request to undergo plastic surgery often have different motivations and goals compared to adults in search of these procedures. They usually move driven by a desire to "fit in", so the evaluation of the adolescent's emotional maturity and her ability to make autonomous decisions free of pressure from friends or family members is essential.

Body dysmorphic disorder

It may be the case that the adolescent applicant for genital surgery suffers from a body dysmorphic disorder. This disorder, which is an important or exaggerated concern about a physical defect that may be real or imagined, begins in adolescence and leads to repeated surgical correction requests, without symptom relief.

In case the gynecologist suspects that a teenager has a body dysmorphic disorder, he should refer the patient to a mental health professional.

Other cases of genital surgery

When teenagers seek medical treatment, the first step is often education and offer them confidence regarding the normal variation in anatomy, growth, and development. Non-surgical measures of a cosmetic type (such as the use of emollients) can be offered, if the disposition of the labia minora during exercise or the use of clothing attached to the body causes discomfort; but there are cases in which the symptoms persist.

In this case, doctors agree that not all worries about the labia majora or deformed lips are strictly cosmetic.