- Presents a wide-ranging history of the phenomenon, stretching back to the Ancients and up to the present day debates
- Challenges the dominant explanation of female cosmetic genital surgery – known as the ‘pornography thesis’
- Sheds light on a topic that has been attracting increasing attention within gender studies and feminist scholarship
- Brings rich historical context to a practice that is often depicted as somehow unique to this era
Examining the fascinating history of female genital cosmetic surgery, Camille Nurka traces the origins of contemporary ideas of genital normality. Over the past twenty years, Western women have become increasingly worried about the aesthetic appearance of their labia minora and are turning to cosmetic surgery to achieve the ideal vulva: a clean slit with no visible protrusion of the inner lips. Long labia minora are described by medical experts as ‘hypertrophied,’ a term that implies deformity and the atypical. But how far back does the diagnosis of labial hypertrophy go, and where did it originate?
Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery tells the story of the female genitalia from the alien world of ancient Greek gynaecology to the colonial period of exploration and exploitation up to the present day. Bringing together historical, medical, and theoretical documentation and commentary, Nurka uncovers a long tradition of pathologizing female anatomy, a history sure to be of interest to any reader who wishes to know more about how medicine shapes our commonly held ideals.
Table of Contents- Introduction
- Problem Parts
- 1. Ancient Anatomies
- 2. Galen's Nymphs
- 3. The Colonial Race Sciences
- 4. The Sexological Sciences
- 5. The Victorian Vulva
- 6. Sexual Ambiguity and Intersex Case Management
- 7. Marketing Perfection
- 8. The Vulva in Pornography Conclusion
