Advertisement
Given that "normal" occupies a broader definition than what many apparently believe, the idea that women are having serious, expensive surgery (operations can cost between $3,000 and $9,000) because of misplaced anxiety is at best cause for alarm."I actually think that we need to stop talking about 'normal,'" said Dr. Simonis. "It's like saying, 'What is a normal nose?' ['Normal'] is a range, a spectrum. Even if a woman has very long, very large labia minora, if she is comfortable with that, then that is normal."Experts have attributed women's dissatisfaction with their appearance to the proliferation of online pornography and the popularity among young women of Brazilian waxing. With the curtains pulled back, many are shocked—and in some cases, unhappy—with what lies beneath.I actually think that we need to stop talking about 'normal.'
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Still, some women say the appearance of their vulva negatively affects their self-confidence and intimate relationships. Until she had labiaplasty in 2013, Louise, a 19-year-old Sydney woman, told ABC TV she'd hated how she looked since she was 14. She felt her labia were abnormal, and saved up for "quite a while" to have the expensive surgery.Post operation, Louise admitted that while the result wasn't perfect, it was a significant improvement. "It's not exactly how I wanted it, but it's a lot better than it was," she said. "[Labiaplasty] definitely gave me a lot more confidence in myself."Laura, a 23-year-old writer and performer from Melbourne, said she was frustrated that many women felt self-conscious about their vulvas, but was not surprised given our cultural reluctance to discuss women's bodily functions and sexual health.Related: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Vulva
Advertisement