Setting the Record Straight on Designer Vaginas

The writers of Californication aren’t the only one waging war against female cosmetic genital surgery these days.

In the September issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published a policy statement advising women against cosmetic vaginal surgeries due to a lack of data on the safety and utility of the procedures. In a prepared release, Dr. Abbey B. Berenson, a member of ACOG's Committee on Gynecologic Practice gets right to the point:

“It's important that women understand the potential risks of these procedures and that there is no scientific evidence regarding their benefits.

Very few cosmetic vaginal procedures are medically indicated nor are there published studies that assess the safety, complication rates, and long-term satisfaction for any of these unproven surgical procedures. "It is imperative that studies on these procedures be conducted and published in peer-reviewed publications so that the evidence and clinical outcomes can be reviewed. Until that time, the absence of data supporting the safety and efficacy of these procedures makes their recommendation untenable."

The paper also points out that it is misleading to give the impression that cosmetic vaginal surgery procedures are “accepted or routine”. This is something that needs to be pointed out not only to ethically challenged plastic surgeons, but also any number of mainstream media outlets (including the one that pays me) which have for the past several years allowed misleading stats to run with stories arguing that the proliferation of these surgeries is a reality, even if they're usually also arguing that its a cause for concern.

This document isn’t the first, or only one to tackle the issue of these surgeries head on, but it’s a welcome addition to a building body of reasoned responses to an unreasonable imposition on our bodies and sex lives.

Read more – ACOG Advises Against Cosmetic Vaginal Procedures Due to Lack of Safety and Efficacy Data

Read more:

• Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery
• Vaginal Rejuvenation
• Labiaplasty
• Vaginoplasty

Previously – Rejuvenate your what? ; Vaginal Rejuvenation Surgery Widely Over Reported ; Vaginal Plastic Surgery

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