Media Influences On Female Genital Plastic Surgery

In today’s society there is an immense pressure on women to have a beautiful body. Over the last few decades the concept of what a beautiful body is has drastically changed and has become more complex. Now, even very young girls are beginning to hate their bodies because they do not live up to the standards set by the media (Barbara 7). A somewhat new way to modify one’s body that has become popular in the last few years is female genital plastic surgery. If differing views on female genital plastic surgery from females and males, cultural backgrounds, and outside influences are studied, I believe that the results will show that females are more critical about their genital appearance than males and that females and males have a different

idea of what a vagina should look like. Female plastic surgery is an intimate topic that is not discussed in every day life, but affects a lot of women.
Female plastic surgery is “a new set of sexual and aesthetic surgeries on the female genitalia” (Tiefer 1). There are a lot of surgeries that fit into the female genital plastic surgery group, but the most common procedures are the labiaplasty, clitoral hood reduction, perineoplasty, vaginoplasty, and hymenoplasty. All of these procedures are designed to fix or enhance the appearance and function of the female genitalia. There are many reasons why women get these procedures, but most commonly they are done for increased sexual satisfaction, fixing functional problems, or for cosmetic reasons. Gynecologic surgeons have been performing procedures on genitals for years, but “it wasn’t until Honore and O’Hara in 1978, Hodgekinson and Hait in 1984, and Chavis, LaFeria, and Niccolini in 1989 were the first to discuss genital surgery for aesthetic or sexual reasons” (Goodman 4). In recent years, it has become more popular to get female genital surgery for cosmetic reasons, which has caused a lot of controversy.
Female genital plastic surgery has a lot to do with the term normal.

Media influences, especially pornography, have drastically changed the meaning of normal when it comes to vaginas. Women tend to believe that there is a standard vagina and that theirs must live up to it. “Exposure to images of the ‘perfect vagina’, for instance pornographic altered images, may lead to the development of unrealistic concepts of normal genitalia” (Barbara 5). Not only images, but also the growing popularity of increased shaving of pubic hair, which leaves the vulva exposed, may also lead to women over criticizing their genitalia. This belief of a standard vagina will push women towards female plastic surgery. This is especially true when cosmetic surgery industries use “beautifying the vulva, increased sexual responsiveness and she looks like a 16-year-old now” (Tiefer 5) to describe the results of their surgeries. Besides influences from the media, there are also cultural influences that push women to get these surgeries. An example of this is the hymenoplasty procedure, a surgical procedure that replaces a woman’s hymen. In some cultures or religions that condemn premarital sex, women may get this procedure to avoid ostracism after engaging in premarital sex. There is not just one particular influence on female genital plastic surgery, but one thing is for certain, it presents many ethical

concerns.
Female genital plastic surgery may seem like the perfect fix for women’s insecurities below the waist, but there are many ethical issues with the surgeries.

These types of surgeries are fairly new and there has not been a lot of evidence to prove the lifelong benefits advertisers promise. “No adequate studies have been published assessing the long term satisfaction, safety, and complication rates for these procedures” (Braun 6). This lack of reliable data brings female genital plastic surgery into question and whether or not it is medically beneficial to have these procedures done. Those in charge of advertising for these procedures are deceiving because they do not include the risks of surgery and the pain of recovery. Another issue that aesthetic female genital plastic surgery creates, is whether or not the procedure will really help the patient. Most physicians believe that surgery should be a last resort and that is why most “referred their patients to either a psychiatrist or psychologist for a comprehensive evaluation prior to considering surgical intervention” (Lowenstein 9). Although some may see these procedures as unethical, it is one’s right to do whatever is desired with one’s body. Therefore, “if a woman’s choice is to have cosmetic surgery, it is her right” (Cain 5). As for me, I believe that females’ genitalias are all different, there is not just one version that everyone needs to be. I think getting genital plastic surgery to fix a functional problem is

perfectly fine, but getting surgery because one is not satisfied with one’s appearance is not necessary, especially when girls as young as 10 years old are getting these procedures. Outside influences have caused female genital plastic surgery to become popular and it is unethical to try to influence women to change their bodies to satisfy the standard.
Claire E. Sterk is an anthropologist that was sent out to study prostitutes during the AIDS epidemic. When she first began her research it was hard for her to become close with her subjects, but she finally figured out she needed to gain their trust. She did this by starting with small interactions, and then finally achieving her “first conversation and also her first connection to the scene” (Sterk 3). She introduces herself to people by saying hello and then beginning a conversation with her wanting to write a book on prostitution. Her research questions were structured like a dialogue so she could learn as much as possible. After sometime, Sterk became close with the women and tried to do as much as possible to help them, including giving them rides. To protect them in her article, whenever she mentions them she uses a pseudonym. For my research, I will ask 5 males and 5 females about their views on female genital plastic surgery. I will ask my friends and family members because they will most likely be more comfortable discussing the topic with me, rather than a stranger. My questions will center around interviewee’s views on female genital plastic surgery, what they already know, and what they believe the perfect vagina is. I think most participants will be ill-informed about female genital plastic surgery, believe it is unethical, and female and male subjects will have a different perspective of the perfect vagina.