Her husband apologised, but Angela's fear of 'being a sexually inadequate wife'
gnawed at her.
She began reading up on vaginoplasty, a surgical procedure that involves the
tightening of vaginal muscles and tissues. After a few consultations with a
gynaecologist, the secretary at a multi-national company spent about $10,000 SD
(US$5,964) to go under the knife.
The result? It was "like doing it for the first time all over again," she says,
referring to her heightened sensations post-surgery.
"My husband was shocked that I went to such lengths to please him. But at the
end of the day, I feel it was a wise move that has greatly improved our
relationship as a married couple.
"At first, I didn't tell anyone else about it because it seemed like such a
taboo subject. But with hindsight, it's just like any other surgery that people
go through to better their lives."
Vaginoplasty, labioplasty and hymenoplasty may not be medical terms bandied
about as dinner conversation.
But taboo or no, more women like Angela are turning to surgical procedures to
spruce up their nether regions and, in turn, their sex lives.
For the uninitiated, labioplasty is the surgical reshaping of the labia minora
(or inner lips), which tends to get flappy with age or childbirth. Hymenoplasty
refers to the restoration of a torn hymen.
Doctors who perform such procedures, namely a select group of plastic surgeons,
urologists and gynaecologists, say that despite the niche clientele, demand is
steadily on the rise.
Dr Douglas Ong, an obstetrician- gynaecologist at Mount Elizabeth Medical
Centre, says he now gets at least 30 to 40 enquiries a month compared to five
to 10 five years ago. He has also performed over 1,000 procedures.
Similarly, Dr Woffles Wu, a consultant aesthetic plastic surgeon whose private
practice was set up in 1999 at Camden Medical Centre, says: "Back when I first
started out, there were only one or two patients requesting such procedures
every couple of months. These days, I get requests every one or two days."
He offers, among other services, "vaginal rejuvenation", a multi-pronged
procedure that entails performing a tummy tuck and pulling the pubic tissues
upwards to give a sagging vagina a more attractive appearance.
But getting a "rejuvenation" in that area will cost you some. The procedure
could set you back over S$20,000 (US$11,928), including hospitalisation costs.
Another consultant cosmetic and plastic surgeon, Dr Marco Faria Correa from
East Shore Hospital and Thomson Medical Centre, conducts "intimate surgery"
that involves transferring fat from problem areas like the inner thighs to the
labia to give the latter a fuller appearance.
The cosmetic procedure costs from S$8,000 (US$4,771) and the Brazilian doctor
sees up to 10 such cases here a month.
Save for hymenoplasty, such surgical improvements are durable and need to be
performed just once.
While the majority of women who seek such treatments here are from overseas,
Singaporean women aren't quite shying away.
Those who opt for vaginoplasty and labioplasty are often middle-aged to elderly
women whose genitalia have become loose and "old-looking" due to reasons such
as childbirth.
Says Dr Correa: "Nowadays, women here are also very open-minded about these
things. They need to feel young, sexy and pretty in all aspects."
As in Angela's case, it's often the men who indicate they want their wives or
girlfriends to undergo what is perceived as a quick fix to sexual
dissatisfaction.
Dr Wu remembers a patient in her 50s who wanted to tighten her vagina because
her husband found hers so loose he demanded anal sex instead.
But the desire to change things down there is, for many women, emblematic of
deeper insecurities.
Dr Correa adds: "Sometimes patients say things like they are 'finished'. Or
that they are not confident to go into relationships anymore because of the way
their vaginas look."
Others opt for surgery because they fear their men leaving them for younger
women.
Dr Peter Lim, senior consultant urologist and medical director at the
Andrology, Urology & Continence Centre at Gleneagles Hospital, calls the
delicate situation a "double-edged sword."
Surgery is not a panacea to all ills, he says. "If a woman comes to me and says
'Doctor, tighten my vagina because I'm afraid of losing my husband', I can only
say it's rubbish.
"You cannot blame the problem on your anatomy. It may be a contributory reason,
but surely not the main reason."
Dr Lim says he takes a "conservative approach" to such cases. He often
prescribes medicine and sex aids -- in addition to intensive counselling --
that can also help nip the problem in the bud.
He prescribes surgery only on "solid medical grounds".
There are, of course, couples who seek such treatment to give their sex lives a
boost. Doctors say consultation goes a long way in weeding out the right from
the wrong reasons.
Dr Ong says: "I strongly discourage the practice of surgery on demand and
screen all requests thoroughly. I spend a lot of time trying to understand
where the problem lies and provide individualised solutions.
"Where there is a clear relationship problem or frivolous request, the patient
is counselled against surgery."
In the case of hymenoplasty, counselling can be as simple as busting the myths
about how one's virginity is lost.
For example, a non-virgin bride who worries that she will be exposed due to the
lack of blood during her first intercourse with her husband may well be
overreacting.
Dr Chan Chi Chin, a plastic surgeon in private practice who performs
hymenoplasty at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, says: "Sometimes a tear doesn't even
result in staining. It depends on the elasticity of the hymen."
And because the hymen could have already been torn during activities like
horseriding and ballet, the notion of valuing one's virginity this way is, at
best, antiquated.
At the end of the day, however, the final decision has to lie with the patient.
Says Dr Wu: "I'm here to fulfill a request, not to moralise. As long as the
request is not ridiculous, it is not my decision to pontificate and impart my
moral feelings onto my patients.
"They are coming for help, and I'm here to help them."
ANN
