1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff Mom Never Told You from housetop Works 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Kristen 3 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: and I'm Caroline, and let's talk about the vaginas. Let's 4 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: get ready, folks. This is gonna be a very vaginal 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: episode of Stuff Mom Never Told You. Yeah, and there 6 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: will be some things that might make you cringe, but 7 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 1: we need to talk about it because it's something called 8 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: a designer vagina has been popping up in tabloid e 9 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: news a lot more lately. That sounds like a vagina 10 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: is a celebrity. There's a celebrity vagina that's been popping 11 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: up all over the news. She's been spotted shoe shopping 12 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: in Hollywood. Uh No, Designer vaginas are a horrible name 13 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: because it makes it sound kind of nice for la 14 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: be a plastic and vagina plastic plastic surgeries elective plastic 15 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: surgeries more often than not that are becoming more common. 16 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: And before we get a me further, what are we 17 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: even talking about? What is the vagino plastic caroline? That 18 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,919 Speaker 1: is the removal of excess lining and tightening of surrounding 19 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: tissue and muscles, and even just even with that definition, 20 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 1: calling it excess lining. Do we even know what excess is? Yeah, well, 21 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 1: there's a lot of basically cosmetic reasons, sexual reasons more 22 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: more than Yeah. So, vagino plastic essentially tightens the vagina, 23 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: gets so gets those muscles, sows those muscles together even tighter, 24 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: which sounds very painful. Then there's the labia plastic, which 25 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: is reshaping of the labia minora and sometimes the labia majora, 26 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: and or the clitteral hood, which is called a hood ectomy. 27 00:01:57,640 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: And all of this we're going to talk about is 28 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: different from getting the artificial hymen or having a hymen 29 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: ectomy of that tissue sewn across. That is another conversation. 30 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: We're sticking straight with the rejuvenated vaginas, designer vaginas. All 31 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: this new fancy marketing lingo for vagina plasts and labia plastics, 32 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: and these can cost between three thousand and ten thousand 33 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: dollars and they're often not covered by insurance because they're 34 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: often not medically necessary. Right. It's usually performed as an 35 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 1: outpatient surgery, takes less than two hours, and most of 36 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: these surgeries are performed by O B, g U I 37 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: ns rather than plastic surgeons. Although there are certainly plastic 38 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: surgeons getting involved. If you have one of these, you 39 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 1: can expect a six to eight week recovery, during which 40 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: time you cannot have sex, or take baths or do 41 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 1: any sort of like lower body workout like squats. Yes, 42 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: and the risks of lady plastic vagina plasta include bleeding 43 00:02:55,080 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: and infection, creation of a hole between the vagina and rectum, 44 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: and also pop stitches. Caroline, you are you're wincing, I'm windsing, 45 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 1: I'm wincing inside. Uh. Yeah. The American College of Obstetricians 46 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: and Gynecologists advises women to be informed about the lack 47 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: of data on these procedures and their potential complications because 48 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:23,840 Speaker 1: there is a massive lack of research despite the recent 49 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 1: surge in women's seeking out these kinds of procedures, because 50 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:34,839 Speaker 1: the history of vagina plastis and laby plassies for cosmetic 51 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 1: reasons is relatively short. In nineteen seventy one, we have 52 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: the first paper published mentioning laby a plasty, but this 53 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: time it's actually an enlargement um and that was published 54 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: in the European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. And then 55 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty four we have the paper Aesthetic vaginal 56 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: laby a plastic published in Plastic Reconstructive Surgery. But the 57 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: terms laby plasti and vagina plastic don't really start entering 58 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: the public consciousness until like the late nineteen nineties. Right. 59 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: A New York Times article from two thousand four talks 60 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: about how vagina plastic laby plastic these procedures were once 61 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: reserved for fixing actual conditions such as incontinence, congenital malformations, 62 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: or injuries related to childbirth um. But yeah, there's plenty 63 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,160 Speaker 1: of evidence. Although you know what's interesting, there's not a 64 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: lot of exact numbers as far as these surgeries because 65 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 1: they're not necessarily coded through insurance. A lot of people 66 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: have to pay upfront since insurance doesn't cover a lot 67 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 1: of them. But there's a lot of anecdotal evidence that 68 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: demand has been growing rapidly. One doctor, Bernard Stern, was 69 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: quoted as saying that four years after he began to 70 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: focus exclusively on genital cosmetic surgery, he saw his business quadruple. Yeah, 71 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: there was an article about this, pretty detailed article actually 72 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 1: in Marie Claire magazine that came out in May, and 73 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:01,720 Speaker 1: the author went to this convention from the American Academy 74 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: of Cosmetic Surgery, and they decided that there's an increase 75 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:08,800 Speaker 1: of more than fifty percent in those surgeries in two 76 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: thousand eight. UM Also, the BBC reported in twelve and 77 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 1: in the UK they had experienced a five fold increase 78 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: in laby a plastic. And some doctors will even say 79 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: that the numbers that we hear are on the low side. 80 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: For instance, UH in two thousand nine, there were an 81 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: estimated fifty three thousand, three hundred and thirty two quote 82 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: unquote vaginal rejuvenation surgeries, which are a combination of vagino 83 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: plasts and labia polasts, performed in the United States. So 84 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,840 Speaker 1: what's up with the rise? I mean, there's a lot 85 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: of reasons, obviously, medical reasons that one would want to 86 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: undergo a procedure like laby a plastic for instance, like 87 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: if you actually are physically uncomfortable with UH, with the 88 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: way your labia are shaped. Yeah, and there and there 89 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,000 Speaker 1: are problems from that can arise with the injuries from 90 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: childbirth continence, congenital issues that you mentioned before. But but 91 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: this thrice in the elective surgery. Yeah, well, with vagina 92 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 1: plastic in particular, um. Women who get it UH could 93 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: believe that their capacity to enjoy sex, for instance, is 94 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 1: compromised by a loose vagina, which it could be the 95 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 1: result of a genital condition or childbirth. Um laby a 96 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,760 Speaker 1: plastic irritated your lady, or irritated by clothing or exercise. 97 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: There is a warning, however, about having these procedures for 98 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: sexual satisfaction. Basically it may not help. Dr Thomas Stovall, 99 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: who is the president of Society for a Gynecologic Surgeon, 100 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: says there's no scientific data really backing up that it 101 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: could necessarily help to get a vagina plastic, for instance, 102 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: for sexual reasons. In fact, it could actually hurt if 103 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,840 Speaker 1: it becomes too tight. Basically UM. It could also lead 104 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,440 Speaker 1: to painful scarring or nerve damage, leading to either a 105 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: loss of sensitivity or to uncomfortable hyper sensitivity. But again, 106 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: there is so little data on a long term follow 107 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: up with these patients, and anecdotally doctors will tell you 108 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: that there is a low rate of complications. But what 109 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: we are learning more about is why you know why 110 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: people are seeking them. And there was a review of 111 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: female genital, cosmetic and plastic surgery published in two thousand 112 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 1: eleven and the International Society for Sexual Medicines Journal, and 113 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: they found that eighty seven percent of the women who 114 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: sought out some kind of general rejuvenation surgery did it 115 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: for aesthetic reasons, followed by six percent had discomfort and clothing. 116 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,600 Speaker 1: And that is when there are cases when the laby 117 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: and minora do irritate, like if they don't fit inside 118 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: underwear or if they Often with bike riding, women will 119 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:54,320 Speaker 1: report um excess chafing that for instance, experienced discomfort with exercising, 120 00:07:55,760 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: also reported entry dysprunia, which is in full sexual intercourse. Yeah. Well, 121 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 1: according to the British Journal of Medicine, of women who 122 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: inquired about genital reconstruction reported the desire to go through 123 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: with it even after being informed that their labia were 124 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: totally normal. Yeah. And the two thousand four New York 125 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,560 Speaker 1: Times article that you referenced earlier, they talked to this 126 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: yoga instructor who was going to get a laby a plastic, 127 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,840 Speaker 1: and she just said that the only reason she wanted 128 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: to get it was because she had just seen women's 129 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 1: vaginas in porn which were quote tiny and dainty and symmetrical, 130 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: and so she felt like her lap sided labia needed fixing. 131 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,160 Speaker 1: And I think it's also telling that the New York 132 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: Times reported that many women who seek these kinds of 133 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: surgeries also have gotten other types of elective plastic surgery. Yeah. 134 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,520 Speaker 1: Regina Lynn wrote a column and Wired in January two 135 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: thousand six where she basically calls all of this, this 136 00:08:56,040 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: trend in cosmetic unnecessary vaginal rejuvenation surgeries narcissism. And she 137 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: she scoffs at it. She says, think of the girls 138 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,320 Speaker 1: in Africa who were undergoing genital mutilation. And she says that, 139 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: you know, it's this whole idea of ideal labia that's 140 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:13,679 Speaker 1: ridiculous and comes from porn. But I think I think 141 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: it's maybe not just narcissism. I think there's a much 142 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: bigger story there, that there is a woman like that 143 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: yoga teacher who looks at porn for her idea of 144 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: what a normal body and a normal vagina and volva 145 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: is supposed to look like. Yeah, and and and we 146 00:09:30,679 --> 00:09:34,079 Speaker 1: don't know. I mean, I will say that there are 147 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: certainly instances when there is physical discomfort caused by that. 148 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 1: There was an exo Jane blogger who remained anonymous, who 149 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: wrote about getting laby of plassy surgery, and she she 150 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 1: said that ever since I was eleven or twelve, my 151 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: laby have been how shall we put it, enormous, monstrous, excessive. 152 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 1: Not only was this physically uncomfortable, it was unsightly. The 153 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:58,040 Speaker 1: first guy had sex with actually commented, wow, you've got 154 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: some big lips now that it is scarring emotionally, And 155 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:05,400 Speaker 1: she talks about how once she got the surgery she 156 00:10:05,600 --> 00:10:11,600 Speaker 1: finally felt some kind of self confidence. Um, but there 157 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: there's still, though, that issue of not knowing, of a 158 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:22,360 Speaker 1: complete lack of information on what something should look like, 159 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: what is normal. Whereas we've we've come to accept I 160 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: think that penises, for instance, coming all sorts of shapes 161 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: and sizes, and they are all sorts of you know, 162 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:36,200 Speaker 1: nifty little jokes about motions of the oceans and the 163 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:37,880 Speaker 1: size of the boat and all that. But when it 164 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: comes to the vagina, there's porn and nothing else. Yeah, 165 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: there's definitely an underlying question about awareness and education and 166 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: where people are getting their information, or if they're getting 167 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: any information at all. Melanie Burlier for the Atlantic in 168 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: April wrote that the dialogue on message boards about vaginal 169 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: surgery shows obvious confusion among women about what they should 170 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,079 Speaker 1: or should not look like. And she said, there's widespread 171 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: pronouncements of self loathing and embarrassment over genital appearance. So 172 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:14,679 Speaker 1: I mean, you're you're not getting insects aid, or conversations 173 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:19,080 Speaker 1: or talks with mom about what your vagina should look 174 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:21,679 Speaker 1: like or if if things are uncomfortable, or if you're 175 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: just insecure. There's there's a total lack of of a 176 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 1: conversation there. And Volva's are more exposed than they ever 177 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 1: have been before because of the prevalence of shaving all 178 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: of your pubic hair off, getting bikini waxes. And this 179 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: is something that even the doctors who are performing these 180 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:46,200 Speaker 1: surgeries will attribute to the increased interests in vagina plastics 181 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:51,199 Speaker 1: and labia plastics because suddenly we are now seeing volva's 182 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:56,079 Speaker 1: in all of their glory. And but whereas before with 183 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,960 Speaker 1: pubic hair, if you know, certain differences might not have 184 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: been as pronounced and um, and the thing is, it's 185 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:08,280 Speaker 1: not just going in and having a little bit of, 186 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: you know something, just a little something removed. Can I 187 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:14,440 Speaker 1: talk about the barbie? Oh my god, this is so horrifying. 188 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,439 Speaker 1: I told Kristin that my head exploded when I read this. 189 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: Um is actually in our notes, Caroline's head explained, Um, 190 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,319 Speaker 1: this was coming from that Marie Claire article about the 191 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: vaginal rejuvenation conference. Um. The writer talks about one doctor 192 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: who's presenting his slides at a conference and dubbed one 193 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: slide the full barbie, which featured no inner labia at all, 194 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:44,360 Speaker 1: for a wait for it, a refined look. Refined. I 195 00:12:44,720 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: would like to have a refined vagina, like does it? 196 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 1: Has it been to finishing school? My my vagina went 197 00:12:50,440 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: to Cotillion and crosses her legs properly and holds her 198 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 1: pinky out when she drinks tea. My goodness, she plays 199 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 1: tennis too, as as is expected. Because Kirsten O'Regan for 200 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: Guernica mag in January or on January sixteenth of this year, 201 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 1: she talks about its inventor, Dr red Alan Sod and 202 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:14,480 Speaker 1: he told her about inventing the barbie in two thousand five. 203 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: He said, okay, so I've been doing you know, more 204 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: conservative lady of plasts before now, but he kept getting 205 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: patients who wanted almost all of it off. So he says, 206 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:25,839 Speaker 1: get ready, get ready, because no, you're you're gonna hear 207 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:30,400 Speaker 1: my brain just explode, he says, So I developed a 208 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:36,440 Speaker 1: procedure that would give them discomfortable athletic petite look safely, 209 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: and that is called the Barbie. Now the thing is, though, 210 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:46,079 Speaker 1: I mean, yes, he's developing this surgery, and you could say, oh, 211 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: you know, doctor, shame on you. But there is the 212 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 1: part where people are coming in and requesting it. And 213 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:57,439 Speaker 1: a Reagan also talks to Dr Gary Alter, who is 214 00:13:57,480 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: sort of like the competitor the for for the Barbie. 215 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,640 Speaker 1: He does something called an altar labia contouring, in which 216 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,520 Speaker 1: he takes out tissue of the central segment of each 217 00:14:06,600 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: labia minora and sews them back together. And he also 218 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 1: estimated listen to this, at of his surgeries are corrective 219 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 1: from botched labya polastis. So this means that women are 220 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: not only going to get one labya plasty, No, they're 221 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: going to get a laby plasty, getting a botched job, 222 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: and then going and seeking out another one. There was 223 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 1: another woman profile who was talking about how she was 224 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 1: very insecure about seeing her you know, what her vulva 225 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: looked like. And she first started and you just got 226 00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 1: a barbie. And then she got a hood ectomy, and 227 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: it just it's this, It becomes the slippery slope to 228 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: where what what are we even? What are we even wanting? 229 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: What is the ideal volva that we are and where 230 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: did that come from. People can blame porn, we can 231 00:14:57,160 --> 00:15:00,200 Speaker 1: blame Brazilians, and we can you know, we can him 232 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: all of these things, but it just seems to always 233 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: go back to a lack of education in a fear 234 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: of you know, sexualizing women of us, you know, not 235 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: wanting to. Oh, there's that episode of Sex in the 236 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: City where we find out that Charlotte's never looked at 237 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: her vagina and mirror and she goes home and it's like, oh, 238 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:23,040 Speaker 1: clutching her pearls and finally looks at her own labia 239 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,360 Speaker 1: and they've probably got a full barbie in another episode 240 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: had Well, I think Dr Laura Burman puts it well. 241 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: She's the director of the Burman Center in Chicago for 242 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: Female Sexual dysfunction. She says a lot of it does 243 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: go back to self esteem issues. She says most women 244 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: walk around with a feeling of anxiety about their genitals 245 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: because women are not usually brought up feeling confident about 246 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: that part of their body. She says, these surgeries kind 247 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: of play into that, They absolutely play into it um 248 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: And here's the thing, no wonder we don't know what 249 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: normal is because a you know this is normal is 250 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: also a relative term. When we're talking about vaginasm, same 251 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: way that we're talking about penises. You can do some averages, 252 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: and you can do some medians and such, you know 253 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,560 Speaker 1: all of that, but there's no searching is you know, 254 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:12,080 Speaker 1: perfectly normal because there is a range. And there was 255 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: a paper published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and 256 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: Gynecology in two thousand five called Female genital Appearance Normality 257 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: Unfold and the author talks about how there is a 258 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: dearth of information or research on any kind of labial 259 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: measurements or vasual measurements, and she writes, in general, there's 260 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 1: surprisingly few description of normal female genitalia in medical literature. 261 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:42,360 Speaker 1: In contrast, measurements for male genitals are widely available, and 262 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: we're published as early as eighteen ninety nine. And it's 263 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: the same way that there's been so much research into 264 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: male sexuality that we're just now starting to catch up 265 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,800 Speaker 1: with female sexuality. Same thing has happened with even just 266 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 1: basic prescription drugs, where they used to only be tested 267 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: on men because women have beeries and that's not a 268 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,679 Speaker 1: stable test case. And then finally we're catching up to that, 269 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:10,439 Speaker 1: and even just now in two thousand five, we're finally 270 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: starting to look at vaginas. Can you tell how it frustrated? 271 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: I am. I think it's you. You've got to worry 272 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: about it because our uteruses do tend to float around 273 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: our bodies, will make us crazy, this is true. But 274 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: but to offer you, for for people with labia who 275 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:32,679 Speaker 1: are listening, to offer an idea of the range of 276 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:38,040 Speaker 1: what normal is. Labia can be anywhere from five millimeters 277 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: to five centimeters long, and it's quite a range. And 278 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not gonna lie. I've experienced the you know, 279 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: the like looking at my own volva and say, is 280 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 1: this you know? Well? I'm uh, is that okay? This 281 00:17:56,040 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: is fine? I love my vagina, Well, I've love mind. 282 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: You know, I don't hate yours. You know, I'm just 283 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: not You're not a vagina hater. Thank you appreciate it now. 284 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: I I think it's horrific reading all of these articles 285 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: about women who are so I mean, whatever their motivation is, 286 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: whether they're uncomfortable, they have no self esteem, some man 287 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:21,440 Speaker 1: has said something awful or they've seen porn and now 288 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 1: feel like they're huge and disgusting. I mean, I it 289 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 1: makes me so sad, and it makes me want to 290 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: hug and also shake all of these people. Well, it's 291 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: it's also seems to like, uh, there is. It's more 292 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:39,399 Speaker 1: of a thing that is being perpetuated by women, um, 293 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: being being scared perhaps or just being uneducated. It doesn't 294 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,880 Speaker 1: seem so much to be a thing of heterosexual dudes 295 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: looking at porn and then looking at their normal girlfriend 296 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: and being like, you need to go get a full barbie. 297 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,399 Speaker 1: Because in a lot of the articles that we read, 298 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 1: the doctors will say no, the husbands never or say 299 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: all they want is for their wife to be happy. 300 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:06,960 Speaker 1: They could care less and um. There was even an 301 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,439 Speaker 1: interview with Mark Kurrn's, who is a senior director or 302 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: senior editor excuse me with a trade magazine Adult Video News, 303 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:16,360 Speaker 1: who said quote, I really don't think most men't care, 304 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: you know, And someone someone else made a point of 305 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 1: like if a dude is getting at least just like 306 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: getting around a vagina, you know, then that's all other 307 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 1: bets are are off. That's not controlling for you know, 308 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:33,080 Speaker 1: jerks every now and then, or how about moms. There 309 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 1: are mothers also bringing their daughters into the doctor's office. 310 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: This is also coming from that Guernica mag article. There's 311 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: one plastic surgeon who said, quote, I get a lot 312 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: of young women brought to me by their moms. It's 313 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: always the moms who bring them in. I can't I 314 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,159 Speaker 1: can't imagine, like what how I would feel as a 315 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: young girl if my mother was like, something's wrong with 316 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: your vagina? Me, Yeah, it's awful. You would never be 317 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: able to recover me in the same way that XO 318 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: James blogger. Clearly, you know, will never forget someone. You know, 319 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:11,440 Speaker 1: the first guy to have who has sex with her 320 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,639 Speaker 1: saying whoa and yet he still does it. Yeah, you 321 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: know well, speaking of of young women um in November, 322 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: researchers from University College Hospital, London reported that more than 323 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: three hundred lady A plasts had been performed by the 324 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:32,360 Speaker 1: Britain's National Health Service on girls fourteen and younger over 325 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: the past the previous six years. And The Daily Mail pounced, 326 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: and and and and other news sources in Britain pounced, 327 00:20:39,359 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 1: saying that these girls were having this designer of vagina 328 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,120 Speaker 1: surgery and made a huge deal of it. But as 329 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,879 Speaker 1: the National Health Service points out, there's no evidence that 330 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 1: the operations were performed for cosmetic reasons. Were some of 331 00:20:52,400 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: them performed for cosmetic reasons? Maybe? Um? They looked The 332 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: researchers looked at ten websites also this is terrible ring procedures, 333 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: and found that the quality and quantity of clinical information 334 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: was very poor and maybe contributing to cultural stereotypes of 335 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: an idealized volva. The most disturbing finding, they point out, 336 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 1: is that there's no lower age limit posted on the site. 337 00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,880 Speaker 1: So if you were a young girl or a mother 338 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: of a young girl and you think something is wrong 339 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: with your vagina or volva or your daughter's volva, you 340 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:29,480 Speaker 1: might just look at these websites and be like, hey, 341 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 1: there's a there's an idea, and no one is going 342 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: to tell you otherwise, Because if you want to know 343 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 1: what other people's vaginas look like, what do you turn 344 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: to porn? Probably? Um? And you know, clearly sex said 345 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: is not doing the job, and clearly these doctors are 346 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: not doing the job as well. Because for the there 347 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,439 Speaker 1: were some women who went like undercover to some of 348 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:59,200 Speaker 1: these vaginal rejuvenation doctors and went in for a consultation, 349 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 1: and every time the doctors said, oh you, well, you're 350 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: an average you're an average looking patient. Whatever makes you happy, 351 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: if you want it, then sure, go ahead and get it. Yeah, 352 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 1: well there is I mean, there's one. There's one website 353 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:19,440 Speaker 1: that I read about, uh called show Us Your Vagina. 354 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,719 Speaker 1: It's over on Tumbler that encourages women to post anonymous 355 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: photos and quote highlights the importance of sharing and openness 356 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 1: and combating body related shame. Yeah, and I had I 357 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:33,040 Speaker 1: will not be posting the link to that tumbler because 358 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 1: we we cannottures, yeah we can. We can't post pictures 359 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: of vaginas on our social media. But I did talk 360 00:22:40,040 --> 00:22:43,879 Speaker 1: to a girlfriend about that tumbler and she said that 361 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: she went over she had heard about it, and and 362 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,440 Speaker 1: scrolled through it, and she said that it was literally 363 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: mind altering just to see normal because she's like, the 364 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: only other volvas I've ever seen were in pornography. And 365 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:05,160 Speaker 1: I assumed that was, you know, just huge, and no, actually, 366 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 1: once I look at what other women's vaginas look like, 367 00:23:08,280 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: oh oh, and they're they're different. Oh, it's kind of 368 00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: mind blowing. I mean to think that that's what it takes. Like, 369 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: why is it the responsibility of a blogger on Tumblr 370 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 1: to to let you know your normal because we don't 371 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: think about because there's been no research, there's been no education, 372 00:23:25,359 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 1: and women are taught to cover that up. You know, 373 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: we're not supposed to. We're not supposed to to look 374 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:35,920 Speaker 1: at each other's vaginas well, obviously, I mean, because vaginas 375 00:23:35,920 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: are dirty in the minds of so many people. Yeah, 376 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,399 Speaker 1: and one thing that we didn't add in talking about 377 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,880 Speaker 1: the whole vaginal plastic thing of tightening those muscles. Doctors 378 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: will also tell you that regular kegal exercises are all 379 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 1: the vaginal plastic that you need. And this is not, 380 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: like we've said earlier discounting actual medical conditions. So do 381 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: injuries from childbirth. But for the average woman, no, none 382 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: of it is necessary. And vaginal rejuvenation is nothing more 383 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: than a marketing term to get more women in the 384 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 1: door because it sounds nice, right, Who wouldn't want to 385 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: rejuvenate a vagina? Just go get a facial, Yeah, get 386 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:20,720 Speaker 1: a massage, specifics cucumber slices on it. Give it's the 387 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: herbal tea. Be fine. Yeah, that sounds so peaceful. Well, yeah, 388 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,760 Speaker 1: I mean there there is a concern that, because of 389 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:32,199 Speaker 1: the lack of education and the lack of research, that 390 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: more and more women and young young women in particular, 391 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: are going to go get this surgery because they are 392 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: insecure and all of a sudden, you have all of 393 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 1: these valvas that look alike. But how do we know 394 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 1: that's even normal? Yeah, I just love your vagina, treat it, 395 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: treat it with respect. And and you know what, I'm 396 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,520 Speaker 1: gonna go ahead and say, talk about your vagina. Maybe 397 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: women need to talk about their vaginas more often to 398 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:01,479 Speaker 1: other women. So feel like we bring up cervical mucus 399 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: and speculums a lot. So just keep the conversation going exactly. 400 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:09,920 Speaker 1: Talk about your labia. How your labia feeling today? Mine 401 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: are great, thanks, Mine are amazing. I love them. But 402 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 1: this is one of this is one of those topics 403 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: where I'm I don't want to give an inch to 404 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,600 Speaker 1: it and say, well, if it makes you feel good 405 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: or no, I mean no. Medical medical conditions are one thing, yes, 406 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: but cutting off your labia your c literal hood and 407 00:25:35,119 --> 00:25:38,360 Speaker 1: there's yeah, and even and and and doctors are not 408 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: doing you know, pre screening for any kind of body 409 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 1: dysmorphia because it's probably closely linked in a lot of 410 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,359 Speaker 1: these cases. Because of the fact that a lot of 411 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:50,400 Speaker 1: these patients will have already have sought out other kinds 412 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:55,600 Speaker 1: of cosmetic surgeries. UM, they're not looking into psychological issues 413 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: that could be going on, you know, basic self confidence. 414 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 1: You know, is it scary to be naked? Is it 415 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 1: scary to look at your you know, vagina sometimes and 416 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,639 Speaker 1: and wonder what you know? It was? Okay, sure, you 417 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: know it's it's it's normal to be insecure sometimes about 418 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 1: about what you look like without your clothes on. But 419 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:15,200 Speaker 1: the answer is not going under the knife and getting 420 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: a cosmetic surgery that no one sees well. So an 421 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: internal cosmetic surgery. Yes, So yet again, I'm gonna I'll 422 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:30,520 Speaker 1: reclose things down. I really want to hear from listeners 423 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 1: on this. What you think what you've heard men doesn't matter? 424 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:40,200 Speaker 1: Does the look of the labia matter? And has porn 425 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: ruined women's vaginas? Is the you know, has it created 426 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 1: this idealized vulva that UM is driving some women to 427 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 1: the plastic surgeon. Let us know all of your thoughts. Mom. 428 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,320 Speaker 1: Stuff at Discovery dot Com is where you can send 429 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: your letters. But before we get to a couple of 430 00:27:01,359 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: letters that you have sent our Way and Caroline, I 431 00:27:07,640 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: figured since we were gonna be talking all about vaginas 432 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:12,080 Speaker 1: in this episode, we could read a couple of letters 433 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,400 Speaker 1: about going to the guy of collegest That sounds excellent. 434 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: I'm at one here from Ashley who had a bit 435 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: of an awkward experience. When I was sixteen years old, 436 00:27:22,359 --> 00:27:24,119 Speaker 1: my mom decided that it was time for me to 437 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:26,120 Speaker 1: start going to the guy. Know what she didn't tell 438 00:27:26,119 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: me was that the doctor I would be seeing was 439 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 1: the same guy that had delivered me, and she was 440 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:34,320 Speaker 1: scheduling back to back appointments for us. I was already 441 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:37,360 Speaker 1: terrified about someone getting all up in my vagina, so 442 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:39,680 Speaker 1: you can imagine my excitement when the doctor comes into 443 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:42,360 Speaker 1: the room, gets me into the stirrups, and informs me 444 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: that I quote look just like my mother. This may 445 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: have actually been the most uncomfortable moment of my life, 446 00:27:51,480 --> 00:27:54,119 Speaker 1: especially when he continued on with the story of my birth. 447 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 1: And needless to say, I did not ask him to 448 00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:02,320 Speaker 1: clarify in what way I looked like my mother. I 449 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:06,919 Speaker 1: don't know what I would do. Thank you, Yeah, I 450 00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:12,840 Speaker 1: think well. I have one here from Kristen who heard 451 00:28:12,920 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: us talking about how your doctor should definitely not be 452 00:28:15,119 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 1: slut shaming you in the doctor's office, no way, and 453 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,680 Speaker 1: said in college, I had unprotected sex with a guy 454 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: I had been seeing for a while. I was on 455 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: the pill and trusted my partner. A few days later, 456 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:27,800 Speaker 1: I started to notice a discharge very similar to something 457 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: I've had before b V bacterial vaginosis. B V is 458 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: not an STD, but an imbalance of the good and 459 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 1: bad bacteria in the vagina. I decided to go to 460 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:39,320 Speaker 1: the doctor and make sure it was just another case 461 00:28:39,360 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: of b V and get a prescription for it. My 462 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: normal doctor was not available, so I saw a different 463 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: kind of cologist at the practice. When I explained the situation, 464 00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: she proceeded to act very irritated and lectured me on 465 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: the many STDs it could possibly be before she even 466 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: examined me. She concluded her lecture with, you know, we 467 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:59,200 Speaker 1: can't fix everything. A penis could look perfectly fine, but 468 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: she had her piece skin cells on you during sex, 469 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 1: her pieces of virus. That means there is no cure. 470 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: You will have that for the rest of your life. 471 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 1: She then examined me and made and made comments like 472 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: this looks like gnaiha to me. She told me it 473 00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: would take two days for the results. Five business days later, 474 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: I had to call the office to ask if the 475 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: results were in. I tested positive for beavy, just like 476 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: I originally thought. The test was negative for all STDs, 477 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,600 Speaker 1: including gonaihea. Now I'm not trying to claim that having 478 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: unprotected sex is ever a smart idea, but by the 479 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: age of twenty two I knew the risks and definitely 480 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: did not need an unwelcome lecture from a stranger. I 481 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 1: never returned to the practice. So thank you, Kristen, and 482 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,520 Speaker 1: thanks to everyone who has written into Mom's Stuff at 483 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:45,239 Speaker 1: Discovery dot com. We love hearing from you. Keep your 484 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: letters coming, or you can message us over on Facebook 485 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: as well and like us while you're at it, or 486 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: you can tweet us at Mom's Stuff podcast. You can 487 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: also follow us on Tumbler at stuff I've Never told 488 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: you dot tumbler dot com. And if you would like 489 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: to know how vaginas work, you can read that very 490 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:04,640 Speaker 1: article written by Ms Molly Edmonds over at our website 491 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: It's how Stuff Works dot com for more on this 492 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics. Is it how Stuff Works 493 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 1: dot com