Researchers associated with the University College Hospital have revealed that hundreds of young girls are undergoing ‘designer vagina’ surgery on the NHS. The researchers, led by Dr Sarah Creighton, have expressed their apprehension over this trend as there isn’t a ‘lower age limit’ for the surgery.

The researchers have asserted that the demand for ‘designer vagina’ surgery may be increasing on account of misleading information on the Internet, usually provided by private clinics.

The ‘designer vagina’ surgery consists of modifying the female genitalia. The requests for such a surgery may be approved on the grounds that the ‘vaginal problem’ is proving to be psychologically disruptive for the girl.

Statistics have revealed that 343 ‘designer vagina’ surgeries were conducted on girls aged 14 or under in the last six years. The rationale behind the trend could be the desire to beautify the female genitalia.

The researchers have divulged that the websites of clinics, which provide female genital cosmetic surgery, make unverified claims about the advantages of such ‘designer vagina’ surgeries. The websites also employ ambiguous terminology and do not emphasise the perils of such ‘designer vagina’ surgical operations.

The findings and assessments of the researchers have been published in BMJ Open. The researchers had performed a snapshot appraisal of the websites of 10 private clinics, which offer female genital cosmetic surgery or ‘designer vagina’ surgery.

The researchers have proclaimed that, as the female body continues to modify throughout her life, the younger a girl undergoes a ‘designer vagina’ surgery, the greater the number of medical treatments she would have to undergo in her life, which obviously heightens the number of medical perils.

Meanwhile, a Department of Health spokeswoman has remarked that no designer vagina surgery exists in the NHS offering. Cosmetic surgery is performed by the NHS but only on patients, who need it clinically.

Related:
Skin cancer drugs Ipilimumab and Vemurafenib approved for use in NHS
NHS Breast cancer screening could cause over-diagnosis, reform set up
Richard Branson’s NHS entry encounters legal challenge