Vaginal Cosmetic Surgery gets the Doctor’s Warning

Vaginal surgery is the new hot favorite with women (Credit: M Wilkes)

Vaginal surgery is becoming popular with women. Women who undergo genitoplasty are reported to seek a flattened vulva that corresponds to the youthful ideal of fashion magazines. The procedure often entails reducing the size of the labia, removing the skin which protects the clitoris, and possibly even shortening the entire length of the vagina.

Although precise figures aren't available, an apparent trend is emerging. In 2004 and 2005, the British National Health Service performed 800 labial reductions -- six times as many as in 1998 and 1999.

Doctors wonder if vaginal cosmetic surgery is an obsession. The sharp increase in women wanting "designer vaginas" has prompted the British Medical Journal (BMJ) to warn women seeking the surgery to find alternative solutions to a procedure they say could have unknown risks. Some doctors believe that vaginal cosmetic surgery could cause nerve damage and impaired function of erogenous zones.