The number of women who undergo labiaplasty to change the appearance of their vagina is on the rise in New Zealand.

A Kiwi woman who was unhappy with the way her vagina looked was recently interviewed. She was not satisfied with her vagina's appearance and called it a "nuisance". She chose to have labiaplasty to change the look of her genitalia.

Dr Murray Beagley, her plastic surgeon, said labiaplasty is popular in New Zealand. He meets with two or three women every week who want to have vagina surgery. The plastic surgeon has seen a steady increase of vagina surgeries during the last seven years.

Women who want their vaginas to look different usually speak with the plastic surgeon first to discuss the procedure and expected results. Mr. Beagley said he is the first person women who want vagina surgery talk to so it makes a difference spending time to talk to them.

Labiaplasty is a plastic surgery procedure to alter the folds of the skin surrounding the vagina's vulva. According to medical history, there are two main reasons why women want to have vagina surgery. One is entirely for medical purposes in which a woman has a congenital condition like intersex and the tearing and stretching of the labia due to childbirth or accident. The other reason is purely cosmetic like the Kiwi woman who was unhappy with her vagina. Women who have no underlying condition want to change the appearance of their genitals because they believe theirs don't look "normal."

According to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2008, 32 per cent of women who opted for vagina surgery wanted to correct a functional impairment, while 31 per cent did so for purely aesthetic reasons.

Women who want vagina surgery should know the risks involved in the procedure. These include infections, permanent scarring, bleeding and nerve damage which can cause an increase or decrease in sensitivity. Before undergoing labioplasty, women are advised to speak extensively with licensed plastic surgeons.

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