Women are constantly being told to change themselves physically to conform to rigid standards of beauty, and cosmetic surgery is often presented as a quick fix. The popularity of elective surgery is incredibly depressing and the marked rise of labiaplasties in Western cultures is deeply unsettling. According to a study published by the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology," Female cosmetic genital surgery is increasingly popular and the number of labial reduction procedures in the National Health Service has increased five fold in the past 10 years." While many women say they pursue labiaplasties to reduce discomfort, none of the women in this study could make this claim, as the article found "that all women seeking surgery had normal sized labia minora." According to Toronto-based news paper The Globe and The Mail's article "Women Pursue Labiaplasty Even When They're 'Normal' Down There," women's reasons for wanting the procedure included cultural pressures like "comments from a partner [and] TV shows that mentioned the surgery."
Perhaps the most disturbing thing about genital cosmetic surgery is that pressure from gynecologists has also had a role in increasing women's insecurities about their genitals, which has consequently given publicity for procedures like labiaplasties. An article on Jezebel.com reviewed a submission to advice columnist Lisa Priest in which a woman told of her humiliation at a routine gynecological exam:
About a month ago, I went to my gynecologist. There were big poster ads for labiaplasty in the waiting area. I was still surprised, though, that once the doctor was examining me, he suggested he could do this procedure for me. I curtly told him ‘no thanks’ but he didn’t stop. In the middle of the exam that was not related at all to cosmetics, he showed me on his monitor where he could trim my labia. I still said no, but felt ashamed and wondered if I should do it. Only later did I realize how violating this was.
While the doctor's behavior is obviously completely unacceptable, he will likely suffer no recourse from his actions, as there was nothing illegal about what he did. His repeated offers of performing a labiaplasty insinuated that she needed cosmetic surgery; that there was something wrong with her. There is something inherently wrong with our beauty ideals and value systems when even doctors, people who are tasked with keeping us safe, exploit our insecurities to make more money.
