Labiaplasty is NOT for YOU if you Love Your Body? For Women Only
Labiaplasty, surgery to reshape your most intimate, feminine anatomy – the vulva and its external tissues – is creating quite a stir in the media. Make no mistake. This is a HUGE money making marketers’ dream. The ads promoting this type of UNNECESSARY and potentially DANGEROUS surgery are playing upon your insecurities and doubts about your very basic femininity.
For years women have been given the message that we are not okay the way we are. The average woman has been led to belileve that she is either too short or too tall, her boobs are not okay the way they are, her butt needs reshaping, he thighs need fat removal, he face needs surgery or botox, etc. Even men have fallen prey to these overriding media messages. And increasing number of men have had surgeries to enhance their shoulder girth, improve their butts, flatten their abdomens, and even to lengthen their most important symbol of manhoos, their penises.
The goal of these surgeries, I presume, is to look more attractive and actually attract partners to engage in intimate sexual relations. Problem is, some of these surgeries may lead to chronic and permanent physical problems that can actually interfere, for the rest of your life, with your enjoyment of the sexual act. Especially when surgeries remove tissue in a woman’s vulva or around a man’s penis, scar tissu e develops that can numb sensation indefinitely (not to mention the inherent dangers of any major surgey which these are).
I am providing a link to a blog called “SelfServed,” a blog site self-proclaimed to be about creating a “sex-positive world.” Self Served includes the wisdom, experience and advice from sexexperts and also reminds us that each of us is our own sex expert. Nobody else has the right to tell us what we need to do to improve our own natural beauty.
Warning. The video shown in this link contains nudity and may be offensive to some women who have never actually seen a real woman’s vulva before. This video may also be offensive to men who may view it at their own risk. I am apologizing in advance to anyone who finds this information upsetting or offensive. However,, my goal is to share this information with women. If I help even ONE female to choose to honor her own body and not be pulled into this dangerous scheme of body cutting/surgery supposedly for her own good, I have accomplished my goal in sharing this.
http://selfserved.blogspot.com/2010/07/you-dont-need-labiaplasty.html








July 30th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
you just brought me back to my days at Berkeley taking women’s studies classes! WOW we all know this goes on in 3rd world and developing countries as a form of mutilation… but ELECTIVE surgery? ugh. thanks for the information and bringing awareness to this topic, dr. erica
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Dr. Goodstone Reply:
July 30th, 2010 at 11:06 pm
At first I was reluctant to share it because the video is quite explicit, but I think it is so important for especially young women to hear and see so they can make an informed and wise choice.
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July 31st, 2010 at 12:28 am
Erica,
Thanks for taking a stand on such an extreme procedure that seems to be on the upswing. While I think it is good for us all to take care of ourselves as best we can, radical procedures such as labiaplasty are so extreme and have such high risks involved. Thanks for being a voice for sanity.
Adam
Dr. Adam Sheck recently posted..The 3 C’s of Relationship- Chemistry- Compatibility & Commitment
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Dr. Erica Goodstone Reply:
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:10 am
Thanks for your comment Adam. The media really creates lots of unnecessary problems for our sense of our own beauty and well being.
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July 31st, 2010 at 1:58 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Karin Boode, Karin Boode, Debbie Stevens , DrErica, DrErica and others. DrErica said: New blog post: Labiaplasty is NOT for YOU if you Love Your Body? For Women Only http://bit.ly/bVfyu0 [...]
August 1st, 2010 at 12:53 am
Erica & friends-
Thanks for sharing and thanks for comments. I truly concur with your statement, “If I help even ONE female to choose to honor her own body and not be pulled into this dangerous scheme of body cutting/surgery supposedly for her own good, I have accomplished my goal in sharing this.”
Let’s hope for more healing and self love, not self mutilation…
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Dr. Goodstone Reply:
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:15 am
Molly,
Your blog site and your video are compelling. I know you are, and will be, helping many women to gain their sense of self-worth and sanity.
Erica
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August 2nd, 2010 at 12:58 am
I’ve heard women talking about this procedure and I always thought it was such a strange thing to want to do. I’m not big on plastic surgery in general, but to do something this drastic just because of what other people’s opinions are, just sounds like a bad idea to me.
Though I can see how it would be easy for doctors and the media to play on our insecurities because like they said it the video, women in general don’t have a wide frame of reference on this issue. So thanks for putting the information out there Erica
Angel
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August 2nd, 2010 at 3:12 am
Angel,
I received a link to the website and video from one of my professional listserves – and I just felt obligated to share it with others. If it helps even one woman to not buy into allowing herself to be cut, then it is worthwhile.
Erica
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August 3rd, 2010 at 4:42 pm
I saw a show on this topic on Oprah I was horrified then and still am. I don’t understand why any women would hurt themselves this way, that’s why we need Doctors like you Dr. Erica…I appropriate all that you do.
Debby
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Debby Beachy Reply:
August 3rd, 2010 at 4:45 pm
I just noticed I spelled appropriate…Ha Ha…I mean Appreciate Sorry!
Debby
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Dr. Erica Goodstone Reply:
August 3rd, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Debby,
At least you noticed the typo. Problem with blog comments is that there is no way to edit or delete. The first time I heard about this procedure was in a local newspaper ad and I was also horrified.
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August 3rd, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Wow Erica! I had no idea that this was even a possibility. Thanks for the information. I am sure sharing this will help other women who may be considering the surgery. I certainly wouldn’t, nor would I want my husband to do anything similar.
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Dr. Goodstone Reply:
August 3rd, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Many of us, like you, are too sensibile to even consider this type of surgery, but there are many impressionable women (and men) who believe some of the ads and think this will somehow make them happier or more attractive.
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August 16th, 2010 at 8:05 am
Just proves the old adage. It’s an ill wind that blows no good. – No computer has ever been designed that is ever aware of what it’s doing; but most of the time, we aren’t either. Attributed to Marvin Minsky
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Dr. Goodstone Reply:
August 20th, 2010 at 4:54 am
Joseph,
What an interesting comment. So true that so often many of us are not really aware of what we are doing and of what the future consequences might be.
Erica
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August 18th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Hi Erica
WOW I had no idea this kind of thing even existed, it truly blew my mind! I cannot believe that some would have something like this done, I mean I believe in each to their own, but words simply cannot describe my thoughts on this.
Thank you so much for bringing more awareness about this potentially dangerous procedure to the forefront for people who are considering it
cheers
Nat
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Dr. Goodstone Reply:
August 19th, 2010 at 2:26 am
Natalie, I was shocked the first time I saw an ad in a local newspaper about this procedure. But then I received an urgent message on a professional listserve and I felt compelled to write a blog about it.
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