Thursday, September 6, 2007

Botched Pussies

Cosmetic procedures billed as "vaginal rejuvenation," "designer vaginoplasty" or even "revirgination" are not medically necessary and are not guaranteed to be safe, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) cautioned last week.

The group, which educates and accredits doctors who treat women and deliver babies, said it is deceptive to give the impression that any of these procedures are accepted or routine, when in fact they are more likely to cause complications such as infection, altered sensation, pain and scarring.

The procedures include changing the shape or size of the labia, "restoring" the hymen, and tightening the vagina. "Some of these procedures, such as 'vaginal rejuvenation,' appear to be modifications of traditional vaginal surgical procedures for genuine medical conditions," ACOG said in their statement.

True medical conditions that merit the surgery include pelvic prolapse, the reversal or repair of female genital cutting, sometimes known as female circumcision, and the reversal of abnormalities caused by hormone imbalances.

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