“Designer vaginas” get a warning label by medical professionals

Who would want to cut up such a happy and serene vagina?
Finally. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have released a public warning against vaginal rejuvenation surgery, saying that not only is there no proof of the surgery being effective, but that it can be severely damaging to, well, your vag:

According to ACOG, the procedures are unproven and the potential risks – including infection, scarring, nerve damage and loss of sensation – outweigh the potential benefits (Zimmerman, Wall Street Journal, 8/31). ACOG in a statement said it is ‘deceptive’ for physicians to ‘give the impression’ that such procedures are ‘accepted and routine surgical practices.’ ACOG’s Committee on Gynecologic Practice in a statement published in the September issue of the group’s magazine said the ‘[a]bsence of data supporting the safety and efficacy of these procedures makes their recommendation untenable.’

And remember that not only are they giving the impression that these procedures are routine, but that they’re also empowering. And while there’s been a “doubling” in the number of labiaplasties in the UK over the last five years (compared to a reported 30 percent rise by the American Society of Plastic Surgery), they’re making attempts to warn women of the negative mental effects:

The British Medical Journal weighed in on the topic with a May article calling cosmetic genital surgeries an ‘extreme and unproved intervention’ that ‘could undermine the development of other ways to help women and girls to deal with concerns about their appearance.’
Most women don’t understand that the size and shape of genitalia vary greatly, leading to ‘misguided assumptions’ about what is normal, said the authors, a clinical psychologist and a gynecologist.

Amen. Hopefully more women will begin to get the hint, especially since they’re doctors and all.