ABSTRACT

Labiaplasty – a common form of female genital cosmetic surgery involving the removal of portions of the labia minora – is becoming increasingly popular, yet little research has examined perceptions of postoperative labia relative to perceptions of unaltered labia. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine perceptions of preoperative and postoperative labia. A sample of 4513 participants – 42% women, 56% men, and 3% non-binary (M_age 27.01, SD_age = 9.97) – was shown a randomized series of “before-and-after” images of labiaplasty procedures. Participants rated each image on how well it matched societal ideals, their personal ideal, and perceived normalcy in appearance. Our hypothesis that postoperative labia would be evaluated more favorably than preoperative labia on these constructs was supported. Individuals who specified their gender outside of the binary rated labia more positively overall; women rated labia more negatively than participants of other genders. Ratings were consistently low overall for both pre- and postoperative labia, suggesting critically negative perceptions of female genitalia. Our findings highlight a need for interventions and education to encourage more positive and accurate views of women’s bodies.

摘要

阴唇成形术——一种常见的女性生殖器整容手术，包括切除部分小阴唇——正变得越来越流行，但很少有研究检查术后阴唇相对于未改变阴唇的看法。因此，本研究的目的是检查对术前和术后阴唇的看法。4513 名参与者的样本——42% 女性，56% 男性和 3% 非二元性（M_年龄27.01，SD_年龄 = 9.97) – 展示了一系列随机的阴唇整形手术“前后”图像。参与者根据其与社会理想、他们的个人理想以及在外观上感知到的正常性的匹配程度对每张图像进行评分。我们假设术后阴唇比术前阴唇在这些结构上的评估更有利。在二元之外指定性别的个体总体上对阴唇的评价更为积极；与其他性别的参与者相比，女性对阴唇的评价更为负面。术前和术后阴唇的总体评分始终较低，表明对女性生殖器的严重负面看法。我们的研究结果强调需要进行干预和教育，以鼓励对女性身体的更积极和准确的看法。