Perception of aesthetic procedures applied to the vulva in the context of the medical specialty of gynecology and obstetrics

TL;DR

This study explores how gynecology physicians and residents perceive and understand female genital cosmetic surgery, particularly labiaplasty, and finds that ethical views are consistent regardless of experience.

Contribution

The study highlights the influence of medical training on ethical perceptions of FGCS and emphasizes the need for formal education on the topic.

Findings

Experienced physicians have higher knowledge of FGCS techniques due to greater clinical exposure.

Ethical views on FGCS are consistent between physicians and residents, indicating early formation during training.

Formal education on FGCS is needed to address ethical and technical understanding in medical curricula.

Abstract

Female genital cosmetic surgery (FGCS), particularly labiaplasty, has gained increasing visibility and demand in clinical practice.

To examine the perceptions of gynecology physicians and residents regarding ethical aspects and knowledge related to FGCS, with a focus on labiaplasty.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 404 physicians, including 327 (80.9%) women and 77 (19.1%) men. Participants completed a structured questionnaire assessing their ethical perspectives on vulvovaginal cosmetic procedures and their specific knowledge of interventions such as labiaplasty, hymenoplasty, clitoroplasty, and others.

Differences in ethical views and knowledge levels between experienced physicians and residents were evaluated.

The findings revealed no significant differences between physicians and residents in ethical perceptions of labiaplasty. However, more experienced physicians reported greater exposure to patients seeking these procedures and demonstrated higher levels of knowledge regarding specific techniques.

Despite greater clinical exposure, ethical perspectives seem to be shaped early during academic training, underscoring the importance of formal education on FGCS.

This study provides insights into a relatively underexplored topic in medical education. However, the use of self-reported measures and a cross-sectional design may limit causal interpretations.

Ethical perceptions of FGCS are consistent across levels of clinical experience, suggesting a strong influence of medical training and reinforcing the need for structured discussions on the topic in educational curricula.