Labiaplasty is a plastic surgery procedure that is used in order to reduce the size of a labia minora. This surgery was introduced originally to control discomfort for women who have pain during sex, physical activity, wearing underwear or swimsuits, and even just during daily activities if their labia minora would get tucked into their vagina. During recent years, the procedure increased in popularity as women would believe that their labia minora was unattractive, and they wanted to cut off some of the labia in order to have what they believe is a “perfect vagina”. 

            The impact of pornography is one of the main reasonings behind a lot of insecurities that women share. Whether it be boob size, butt size, and even how they shave their vagina’s, pornography introduces these insecurities. As one of the women in the film, “The Perfect Vagina” had explained to the narrator, that she and her partner both watch pornographic films together, she had begun to compare her vagina to the women in the videos that her partner enjoyed watching, and she believed that if she cut her labia, she would feel sexier and more appealing to her partner. A lot of women do rely on the media for beauty standards and men also push the insecurities onto women because men want to control their partners. We get so caught up into what society defines as beauty, but we forget that beauty is subjective and if our partner is not willing to accept you as you are, and would rather you go through thousands of dollars and a lot of pain just for you to satisfy them, you should not be with them. 

            I believe that the practice of labiaplasty, outside of its intended purpose, is to control women, which definitely extends from some cultural and religion practices. In plenty of cultures, men control how a woman appears to the public, what career she takes up, and even who she gets married to, so due to this, many behaviors are tolerated because this is how things have seemingly always been. This behavior is extremely toxic, and it has always been just that. In the wake of the Women’s Rights movements, these behaviors are beginning to be pointed out, and women are starting to confidently embrace themselves, without needing approval of men. Even with this, there are women who are still trapped by the patriarchy and are unable to speak out against the mistreatments and behaviors that the men in their lives are doing to them. 

            If labiaplasty was banned for any purposes besides its intended purpose, I believe that many people would begin to understand how diverse women’s bodies are. We are all created differently, coming from different parts of the world, from different beginnings, so it is important to understand and realize that we are all not built the same, and whatever you were created with, was given to you for an important reason. But on another note, I am all for women doing whatever they want to their bodies, whether it be a labiaplasty or a breast reduction. Whatever a woman is comfortable doing to her body should be respected, but another person’s input into what a woman should do to her body is uncalled for and is giving into the patriarchal system that has caused many problems. 

            I also believe that these women’s lives would be changed positively, because they would not have to go under the knife and reconstruct her body. The desire to receive the procedure would likely decrease. I also do believe that some women will travel to other places in order to receive the procedure, but I have hope that the desire for the procedure would decrease in the event of outlawing the labiaplasty procedure.

            The theoretical perspective that the filmmaker had alluded to was the feminist theory perspective. The documentary had pointed out that one gender is being treated differently than the other gender. Due to the inequality treatment of women compared to men, this surgical procedure can put these women into financial issues. These procedures are expensive, causing women to have to work harder and put more financial stresses on themselves in order fulfill the expenses needed to get the procedure done. These women will go through extremely painful situations in order to satisfy the view points of the other gender. 

Leach, Heather “The Perfect Vagina”