Spear
JF-Expert Member
- Jun 21, 2008
- 507
- 28
[h=1]Pornography blamed for five-fold rise in genital cosmetic surgery requests by women[/h]
The demand for genital cosmetic surgery among women has risen five-fold in just 10 years, according to NHS figures.
But a new study has found that most women who request a 'designer vagina' do not need it.
A study by Dr Sarah Creighton, from University College London, found most women requested it as they felt pressured to have 'perfect' sexual organs by pictures seen in the media.
Around 2,000 women a year are having genital surgery on the NHS in England
'Women are bombarded with images suggesting they are not normal,' she said.
The latest figures for England show around 2,000 NHS-funded procedures take place each year.
Dr Creighton led a team from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute who studied 33 women referred by their GP after they requested labial reduction surgery.
The group included eight school girls including one who was only 11-years old, according to the report published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Each girl or woman was examined by a gynaecologist and the width and length of their vaginas were measured and compared with published normal values.
They found that all the women seeking surgery had normal-sized genitals. Just three women were offered surgery to address a significant asymmetry.
Yet of the women who were refused surgery, 12 (40 per cent) still wanted to pursue surgery by another route. Eleven accepted a referral for psychology and one participant was referred to mental health services.
Dr Creighton, said: 'It is surprising that all of the study participants had normal sized labia minora and despite this nearly half were still keen to pursue surgery as an option.
'A particular concern is the age of some of the referred patients, one as young as 11 years old.
Twenty women (60 per cent) said they wanted a smaller vagina to improve its appearance.
Of the 27 women who were able to say when they first became dissatisfied with their genitals, 15 said it was when they were young than 15, while 12 became worried later on.
The reasons included becoming more aware of the genital area, watching TV programmes on cosmetic genital surgery, comments from a partner and physical discomfort.
'It's shocking, particularly because we are seeing girls who are really young,' Dr Creighton told the BBC.
'They are asking for surgery that is irreversible and we do not know what the long-term risks of the procedure might be.'
The demand for genital cosmetic surgery among women has risen five-fold in just 10 years, according to NHS figures.
But a new study has found that most women who request a 'designer vagina' do not need it.
A study by Dr Sarah Creighton, from University College London, found most women requested it as they felt pressured to have 'perfect' sexual organs by pictures seen in the media.
'Women are bombarded with images suggesting they are not normal,' she said.
The latest figures for England show around 2,000 NHS-funded procedures take place each year.
Dr Creighton led a team from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute who studied 33 women referred by their GP after they requested labial reduction surgery.
The group included eight school girls including one who was only 11-years old, according to the report published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Each girl or woman was examined by a gynaecologist and the width and length of their vaginas were measured and compared with published normal values.
They found that all the women seeking surgery had normal-sized genitals. Just three women were offered surgery to address a significant asymmetry.
Yet of the women who were refused surgery, 12 (40 per cent) still wanted to pursue surgery by another route. Eleven accepted a referral for psychology and one participant was referred to mental health services.
Dr Creighton, said: 'It is surprising that all of the study participants had normal sized labia minora and despite this nearly half were still keen to pursue surgery as an option.
'A particular concern is the age of some of the referred patients, one as young as 11 years old.
Twenty women (60 per cent) said they wanted a smaller vagina to improve its appearance.
Of the 27 women who were able to say when they first became dissatisfied with their genitals, 15 said it was when they were young than 15, while 12 became worried later on.
The reasons included becoming more aware of the genital area, watching TV programmes on cosmetic genital surgery, comments from a partner and physical discomfort.
'It's shocking, particularly because we are seeing girls who are really young,' Dr Creighton told the BBC.
'They are asking for surgery that is irreversible and we do not know what the long-term risks of the procedure might be.'
