The marital relationship

(I apologize for the gross-out factor of this post.  I just think that this is a serious issue for women and I want to encourage healthy choices.)

labiaplasty - cosmetic surgery on the female genitals, the most common procedure is the reduction (often near removal) of the labia minora or inner lips.

My husband and I both love science, especially the field of biology.  We read a wide range of material (because we enjoy learning), but make a point of studying human sexuality (as it plays into the marriage relationship).  So, it's not unusual for my husband to send me links to articles or documentaries about different sexual issues/concepts.

The other night, Paul mentioned that there was a documentary on labiaplasty and asked if I would I be willing to watch it with him.  So later that night we grabbed some hot tea, curled up together, and watched the show (I won't link to it because it had some new age woo-woo stuff, clinical nudity and referenced some behaviors that are seriously at odds with the Word).

I was horrified. 
I was sickened (yes, I covered my eyes a couple of times). 
I was deeply grieved.

I felt like I had fallen down the rabbit hole to have tea with the Mad Hatter.  I watched with sadness as one young women went through the procedure and others struggled with their self image - all over a bit of tissue that most people will not see (and that is a lovely bit of God's handiwork).

Please realize that a woman's inner labia show past the outer labia in a normal range of ¼" to 2" (7mm to 50mm) and much of what is there is irregular in shape or lacking in symmetry (I repeat, this is normal).  The effect of porn and current cultural mores have many women thinking that this is somehow disgusting and they are seeking surgery to remove significant amounts of their inner labia (current standards in porn show most women with little or no inner labia showing, likely having had labiaplasty).

Honestly, gals, please don't do this. There are risks (scarring, chronic pain, obstetric risks or reduced sexual pleasure) and it will be decades before we know if there are significant long-term problems. For the vast majority of women there is really no need for this surgery.  The inner labia are there for a reason (God really did know what He was doing).