Labia surgery has become one of the fastest growing cosmetic procedures amongst young people in Australia and worldwide due to rising shame. This is according to a new report by Women’s Health Victoria (WHV).
The report found nearly a quarter of Australians with a labia aged 18 to 24 feel anxious or ashamed about their labia. This was largely due to unrealistic expectations informed by porn and social media.
The labia is the folds of skin that sit on either side of a person’s vaginal opening.
Anxiety and shame
One in six people surveyed said they felt anxiety or shame about the look of their labia, which impacts the rise in labia surgery. It was more common amongst women aged 18-24.
This can have negative physical and mental health impacts. For instance, 43% of people who were anxious or embarrassed by their labia had delayed seeing a doctor for reproductive health issues.
Over three in five people said they put off having sex because of these feelings. Further, 57% said it impacted their mental health.
23%
The percentage of people with labia aged 18 to 24 who said the look of their labia makes them feel “anxious” or “ashamed”.
Labiaplasty
Labiaplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure that changes the shape of a labia.
WHV found one in 10 people aged 18 to 50 years old have considered labiaplasty.
Of these respondents, nearly half (46%) said they wanted to make their labia look like what they’d seen online.
From 2001 to 2013, Medicare claims for labiaplasty and vulvoplasty more than doubled.
From 2014 onwards, these procedures were only eligible for Medicare benefits if they were deemed medically necessary, Therefore, more recent data is not available for Australia.
The number of labiaplasties performed increased by almost 20% from 2016 to 2019. This is according to data from peak body The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
Porn and social media
Nearly one in five (18%) Gen Zs had developed a perception of what labia “should look like” based on porn.
Around a third (30%) of Gen Zs said they get information on labia from social media.
“Interestingly the study found that the older that people with labia were the more likely they were to be unfazed by the appearance of their labia, with childbirth a key factor in shaping this positive perception. We need to celebrate and recognise that labia come in all shapes, sizes, colours and textures.”
Libby Payne, consent and respectful relationships educator, who participated in the Labia Library’s 2024 advisory panel. The Labia Library shows non-sexualised images of labia to try demonstrate more diversity.
Childbirth
Childbirth was found to have a positive impact on someone’s perception of their labia.
Nearly half the participants had given birth, and 30% said it “positively impacted how they feel” about their labia. However, 18% said childbirth negatively impacted feelings toward their labia.
One respondent said their labia acceptance is likely because they’re “older and have had two children; 18-year-old me would probably not respond the same way”.
