ABSTRACT

Labiaplasty is an increasingly common form of cosmetic surgery involving the removal of portions of the labia minora to achieve a smaller, more symmetrical labial appearance. Labiaplasty is inextricably linked to the colonial medicalization of Black women’s labia, necessitating examination of labiaplasty and race in concert. Participants (N = 4351, M_age = 26.58; SD_age = 8.89) were shown 12 randomized images of White and Black female genitalia – unaware that they were “before and after” images of labiaplasty procedures – and evaluated them on their alignment with societal ideals, personal ideals, perceived normalcy, and disgustingness. As hypothesized, postoperative labia were rated as more normal, more societally ideal, and more personally ideal than their preoperative counterparts; preoperative labia were rated as more disgusting than postoperative labia. Preoperative Black labia were perceived as more normal, more societally ideal, and more personally ideal, as well as less disgusting, than preoperative White labia. Postoperative White labia were perceived as more normal, more societally and personally ideal, and less disgusting than postoperative Black labia. Gender trends were inconclusive. Our findings point to the need for greater examination of how White bodily ideals shape evaluations of bodies, and for greater historical contextualization in research on labiaplasty.

摘要

阴唇整形术是一种越来越普遍的整容手术形式，涉及去除部分小阴唇以实现更小、更对称的阴唇外观。阴唇整形术与黑人女性阴唇的殖民医学化有着千丝万缕的联系，因此必须同时检查阴唇整形术和种族。参与者（N = 4351，M_年龄 = 26.58；SD_年龄 = 8.89) 被随机展示了 12 张白人和黑人女性生殖器的图像——没有意识到它们是阴唇整形手术“之前和之后”的图像——并评估了它们与社会理想、个人理想、常态感知和厌恶感的一致性。正如假设的那样，术后阴唇比术前阴唇更正常、更符合社会要求、更符合个人要求；术前阴唇比术后阴唇更恶心。与术前白色阴唇相比，术前黑色阴唇被认为更正常、更符合社会理想、更个人理想，而且不那么令人厌恶。术后白色阴唇被认为比术后黑色阴唇更正常，更符合社会和个人理想，并且不那么令人厌恶。性别趋势尚无定论。