A Young Woman Asking for Labia Reduction Surgery: A Plea for “Vulvar Literacy”

Abstract

In the last decades, the demand for genital cosmetic surgery and, more specifically, labia reduction surgery has increased. Labia reduction surgery means that parts of the labia minora are surgically removed. Several reasons for this increased demand for labia reduction surgery have been suggested, such as the trend to shave pubic hair resulting in more visible genitals, an increased exposure in public media of digitally altered images of the female genital suggesting an “ideal female genital,” and the advertising of labia reduction surgery by aesthetic surgeons and clinics as a way to rejuvenate and to regain (sexual) attractivity [1, 2]. An explanation we would like to add here is that there is a growing intolerance toward any kind of (physical) imperfection—for instance, like children’s teeth—which could be seen as a side effect of medical technological progress. Interestingly, in several African countries, it is common to elongate the labia minora by teaching adolescent girls to stretch them manually, suggesting that this would increase male and female sexual pleasure [3, 4].