Oz women’s demands for ‘designer vaginas’ triple

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Melbourne: An Australian analysis has pointed out that the number of women opting for vaginal 'rejuvenation' surgery has tripled in the past decade.

Doctors have warned that pornography might be the reason for more women to seek plastic surgery, reports The Age.

According to an analysis of Medicare figures, almost 1,400 women opted for labioplasty operations last financial year, a jump from 454 in 2000-01.

The controversial surgery, which reduces the size and appearance of the labia, can help women who have gynaecological problems after childbirth, sexual difficulties or congenital defects.

Ted Weaver, president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said reducing the size of the labia could cost up to 10,000 dollars and carried risks of scarring and loss of sexual feeling.

“There's a lot of normal skin that's being removed from a highly erogenous area just because the woman's under some odd belief that it's going to improve her sexual function or make her look more attractive or more like a porn star,” he said.

While some Medicare claims are legitimate because the surgery is medically necessary, most experts say that even when the operation is performed for aesthetic reasons, a claim can be justified if the patient has required the removal of excessive tissue.

Women are also increasingly asking gynaecologists about ‘G-spot amplification’, a procedure popular in the US, in which collagen is injected into a sensitive area of the vaginal wall, supposedly to make it easier to find and to enhance sexual arousal.

Weaver said there was no evidence to justify the G-spot procedure.

“We think that they prey on women's fears and sense of inadequacy,” he said.

“I haven't had anyone who's been 100 per cent normal and I've thought, this is just ridiculous. They've all had a reason,” said Jane Paterson, a plastic surgeon who specialises in labioplasties.

“You can't imagine the distress these women are in. If their expectations are realistic they're usually satisfied with the outcome because this is something that's preyed on their mind for a long time,” she added.