BAPRAS responds to research published on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery

BAPRAS responds today to papers from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology (BritSPAG) that explore the reasons why women request Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery (FGCS) and the issues around body dissatisfaction.

The papers reported that:

•  The number of labial reduction procedures has risen five-fold in the NHS over the past 10 years, with over 2000 operations having been performed in 2010 (Hospital Episode Statistics)
•  Little research exists about the clinical effectiveness and risks in female genital cosmetic surgery  and it should not normally be carried out on girls under 18 years

A number of recommendations are made in the papers including:
•  Women should be provided with accurate information about the normal variations in female genitalia and offered counselling and other psychological treatments for problems such as body image distress
•  Women must be informed about the risks of the procedure and the lack of reliable evidence concerning its positive effects

Tim Goodacre, Chair of BAPRAS' Professional Standards Committee, said:

“BAPRAS shares concern from both RCOG and BritSPAG around the increase in female genital cosmetic surgery, particularly amongst adolescent girls, and supports recommendations outlined in the papers to drive professional best practice and standards of patient care.

“The reasons women choose this type of surgery are complex and it is critical to unpick these before any procedure is performed to ensure an informed choice is made.

“Whilst there are some appropriate situations where this surgery is right for the patient, this increase is worrying as this surgery does not come without its risks – some women have reported adverse effects, such as severe discomfort and ongoing problems with daily function, following the surgery. It should therefore only be performed when necessary and only ever by a properly qualified surgeon.

“Female genital cosmetic surgery is often trivialised and there is a certain amount of subtle coercion in the media to suggest this surgery may be desirable for women. We can’t deny that there is an element within the wider cosmetic surgery industry that may be seeking to benefit from women’s apprehensions in this area.

“BAPRAS wholeheartedly supports this research and speaks on behalf of surgeons who will be taking the proper and professional approach.

“As part of our role to drive professional standards, we would like to see tougher central regulation of the cosmetic surgery industry to help clamp down on anyone performing these operations unnecessarily, and without due consideration for patient care.

“BAPRAS finds any attempt to increase profits within the 'cosmetic industry' by encouraging more female genital procedures abhorrent. We urge stringent and robust restrictions on advertising such operations with a firm objective to limit any material other than that with information only. All advertising that could in any way be seen as persuasive should be banned.

“BAPRAS also calls on the media to ensure issues around body confidence are responsibly reported and that there is greater recognition for the wide variety that naturally exists in body type.”