Why women undergo procedures to alter the look of their genitalia?
Caroline (20) has done something to her body that will make her regret for the rest of her life. She might never be able to have a comfortable normal life. Her desire for an extraordinarily awesome sexual life has robbed her of any forever. Inspired by the erotic portrayal of a perfect sexual body in porn movies and pressurized by her boyfriend she went on to get a Labiaplasty done that is a plastic surgery to change the look of her genitalia.
Little did she know that it would change her entire life. Since she got that surgery done she is suffering from constant pain and irritation in her genitals. Doctors say that she might never be able to have any sort of sexual relationship in her life. This is the price she paid for catering to the demands of this indifferent patriarchal society. People might go ahead to comment that what she did was her own choice. But need to look more closely on this matter rather than just dismissing it by calling it a choice. We need to find out that why does this choice exist in the first place? Why is it that a woman chooses to undergo such painful procedures? The answer is the popular belief of this intrinsically patriarchal society. The belief of how good sex is always associated with good genitals. And porn has worked to further deepen these ideas in the mindset of people. The picture of a perfectly sexually attractive woman that these movies portray seems to have their impact on people as the number of such surgeries done is increasing every year. Since centuries women have nurtured this desire to look desirable to their sexual partners. And it is this desire that compels them to go for such surgeries. We need to understand that the consent of the women involved should not be the only parameter through which we should look at this entire thing. And therefore comes in the idea of manufactured consent. Women from the moment they are born undergo this social conditioning that we call growing up to become an ideal woman. This idea of being wanted and being desired is instilled in their brains right from the beginning and has continued to happen since forever. The entire idea of being attractive to her man in itself is problematic.
Why should women be the one expected to be attractive to ensure good sex? Why should she not be loved and appreciated for what she is? Why should she be the only one suffering? Yes! Little do these women realize the after effect of these surgeries? From bleeding to pain to irritation to permanent damage to the reproductive system, the spectrum of problems these procedures can cause is exceptionally wide. Let us not make our body suffer for the whimsical desires of these men. Let us now love ourselves first before thinking of giving love to anyone else. Let us live more freely now!
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About the Author: This article is contributed by Pritha Singh, our intern.
