Apr 27 2016 : The Times of India (Chennai)
More US teens seeking genital cosmetic ops
Roni Caryn Rabin
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NYT NEWS SERVICE
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400 Girls Aged 18 And Younger Had Labiaplasty Last Year, An 80% Increase From 2014
Fat thighs. Hairy arms. Muffin tops. Breasts that are too big or not big enough. To the long list of body parts that adolescent girls worry about and want to tinker with, the Internet age has added a new one: the vulva.So many teens are seeking cosmetic surgery to shape the external genitalia that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, on consultation with the Committee on Adolescent Health Care, has urged doctors last week to teach and to reassure patients, suggest alternatives to surgery and screen them for a psychiat ric disorder, known as body dysmorphic disorder, that causes obsession about perceived physical defects.
For adults, the procedure is marketed as “vaginal rejuvenation,“ tightening the inner and outer muscles of the vagina, as well as often shaping the labia; it is geared to older women and women who have given birth.
“Surgery on the labia, or la biaplasty for teens should not be entertained until growth and development is complete. The labia have a lot of nerve endings in them, so there could be diminishment of sexual sensation after surgery , or numbness, or pain, or scarring,“ said Dr.Julie Strickland, ACOG chief.
A 2007 ACOG panel opinion on cosmetic vaginal procedures, reaffirmed in 2014, said the procedures were not medically indicated, had not been proved safe, and could cause serious complications. According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery , 400 girls aged 18 and younger had labiaplasty last year, an 80% increase from the 222 girls in 2014.Girls 18 and younger account for less than 2% of all cosmetic operations, but almost 5% of all labiaplasties.
What's driving the trend for labia surgery? Well, for one, doctors say , many young girls shave or wax their pubic hair, exposing the genital area.
These girls have come of age at a time when they can go online and look up images of the vulva. But the images are often air-brushed and do not portray the range of normal variation in shape, color, size and asymmetry, experts say.
For adults, the procedure is marketed as “vaginal rejuvenation,“ tightening the inner and outer muscles of the vagina, as well as often shaping the labia; it is geared to older women and women who have given birth.
“Surgery on the labia, or la biaplasty for teens should not be entertained until growth and development is complete. The labia have a lot of nerve endings in them, so there could be diminishment of sexual sensation after surgery , or numbness, or pain, or scarring,“ said Dr.Julie Strickland, ACOG chief.
A 2007 ACOG panel opinion on cosmetic vaginal procedures, reaffirmed in 2014, said the procedures were not medically indicated, had not been proved safe, and could cause serious complications. According to The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery , 400 girls aged 18 and younger had labiaplasty last year, an 80% increase from the 222 girls in 2014.Girls 18 and younger account for less than 2% of all cosmetic operations, but almost 5% of all labiaplasties.
What's driving the trend for labia surgery? Well, for one, doctors say , many young girls shave or wax their pubic hair, exposing the genital area.
These girls have come of age at a time when they can go online and look up images of the vulva. But the images are often air-brushed and do not portray the range of normal variation in shape, color, size and asymmetry, experts say.
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