Women, Our Vaginas Are Fine

In a terrifying turn of events, many young women are now under the impression that they need to surgically modify their labia. In February of 2014, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported that labiaplasty procedures had increased that year by 44 percent. “I believe the dramatic increase in both of these procedures is indicative of much larger global trends respecting body image, an ever-evolving concept of beauty, and self-confidence," Michael Edwards, who serves as President-Elect of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, said in the report.   And the desire for this operation continues to increase. On Monday, the New York Times reported that "400 girls 18 and younger had labiaplasty last year, an 80 percent increase from the 222 girls who had cosmetic genital surgery in 2014." This month, The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released official recommendations for medical professionals about how to talk to patients who inquire about the procedure, due to the frequency of inquiries.  Much has been written in response -- on Thursday in The Guardian, Jessica Valenti argued that the need for labiaplasty stems from deep-rooted societal pressures for women to be perfect.  "For all the feminist progress made," she wrote, "there is still a shocking amount of disdain for women’s anatomy when it is not firm, tucked, primped and waxed." As woman, and as a body-positive feminist, I agree. And I can't hel...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news