The Attitude of Physicians Towards Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery

Abstract

Introduction Female genital cosmetic surgery (FGCS) is a trending topic in the field of gynecology practice. It is defined as any genital procedure that is not medically indicated but is designed to improve the appearance of the genitals. With the increasing demand for FGCS, little is known about the attitudes of physicians, especially gynecologists, toward FGCS. The study objective is to assess physicians' attitudes towards female genital cosmetic surgeries in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional survey was done among physicians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Four-sectioned questionnaires were distributed to physicians. All board-certified consultants and registrars of obstetrics and gynecology, plastic, and reconstructive surgery in private/public hospitals were included in the study. Data management was done using the SPSS program version 19 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results Out of 165 physicians, 40 were practicing physicians (female genital cosmetic surgery) (24.2%) while 125 were non-practicing physicians (75.8%). The age of practicing and non-practicing respondents ranges from 26 to 60 with a mean and standard deviation (42.6±8.6) and 24 to 60 (40.1±8.9) years old. Our study showed that there were females under 18 years old requesting FGCS from all physicians. Results of attitude towards FGCS showed that the majority of non-practicing physicians were more comfortable in providing advice about FGCS (N=53) and very confident about female anatomy (N=65). Non-practicing physicians also knew a lot more about the long and short-term risks of FGCS and discussed them all the time with their patients. In terms of giving advice on labiaplasty, clitoral hood reduction, perineoplasty, hymenoplasty, and G-spot augmentation procedures, practicing physicians were more confident compared to non-practicing physicians. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between practicing and non-practicing physicians in terms of gender (p=0.001), career level (p=0.005) and type of work (p=0.006), giving advice on labiaplasty (p=0.001), clitoral hood reduction (p=0.001), perineoplasty (p=0.016) and G-spot augmentation (p=0.001), the number of patients per month, patients seeking advice about FGCS, knowledge about short-term and long-term risks and possible risks of FGCS, vaginal examination, offering referral/counseling and confidence in assessing female anatomy (all, p=0.001). Conclusion Physicians in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia showed an overall positive attitude towards FGCS. The study suggests that with enough training and knowledge about FGCS, physicians could exhibit a more positive attitude towards FGCS.

Keywords: attitudes; female genital cosmetic surgery; labiaplasty; physicians; rejuvenation; vaginoplasty.