Labiaplasty
Measurements Mean [ standard deviation ]
Clitoral length ( mm ) 5.0 - 35.0 19.1 [ 8.7 ]
Clitoral glans width ( mm ) 3.0 - 10.0 5.5 [ 1.7 ]
Clitoris to urethra ( mm ) 16.0 - 45.0 28.5 [ 7.1 ]
Labia majora length ( cm ) 7.0 - 12.0 9.3 [ 1.3 ]
Labia minora length ( mm ) 20 - 100 60.6 [ 17.2 ]
Labia minora width ( mm ) 7.0 - 50.0 21.8 [ 9.4 ]
Perineum length ( mm ) 15.0 - 55.0 31.3 [ 8.5 ]
Vaginal length ( cm ) 6.5 - 12.5 9.6 [ 1.5 ]
Tanner Stage ( n ) IV 4.0
Tanner Stage ( n ) V 46
Color of the genital area compared to the surrounding skin ( n ) Same color 9.0
Color of the genital area compared to the surrounding skin ( n ) Darker color 41
Rugosity of the labia ( n ) Smooth ( unwrinkled ) 14
Rugosity of the labia ( n ) Moderately wrinkled 34
Rugosity of the labia ( n ) Markedly wrinkled 2.0
Size of the labia
The external genitalia of a woman are collectively known as the vulva . This comprises the labia majora ( outer labia ) , the labia minora ( inner labia ) , the clitoris , the urethra , and the vagina . The labia majora extend from the mons pubis to the perineum . The size , shape , and color of women 's inner labia vary greatly . [ 23 ] One is usually larger than the other . They may be hidden by the outer labia , or may be visible , and may become larger with sexual arousal , sometimes two to three times their usual diameter . [ 24 ]
Labiaplasty (also known as labioplasty, labia minora reduction, and labial reduction) is a plastic surgery procedure for altering the labia minora (inner labia) and the labia majora (outer labia), the folds of skin surrounding the human vulva. There are two main categories of women seeking cosmetic genital surgery: those with congenital conditions such as intersex, and those with no underlying condition who experience physical discomfort or wish to alter the appearance of their genitals because they believe they do not fall within a normal range. The size, colour, and shape of labia vary significantly, and may change as a result of childbirth, aging, and other events. Conditions addressed by labiaplasty include congenital defects and abnormalities such as vaginal atresia (absent vaginal passage), Müllerian agenesis (malformed uterus and fallopian tubes), intersex conditions (male and female sexual characteristics in a person); and tearing and stretching of the labia minora caused by childbirth, accident, and age. In a male-to-female sexual reassignment vaginoplasty for the creation of a neovagina, labiaplasty creates labia where once there were none. A 2008 study reported that 32 percent of women who underwent the procedure did so to correct a functional impairment; 31 percent to correct a functional impairment and for aesthetic reasons; and 37 percent for aesthetic reasons alone. According to a 2011 review, overall patient satisfaction is in the 90-95 percent range. Risks include permanent scarring, infections, bleeding, irritation, and nerve damage leading to increased or decreased sensitivity. A change in requirements of publicly funded Australian plastic surgery requiring women to be told about natural variation in labias led to a 28% reduction in the number of surgeries performed. Unlike public hospitals, cosmetic surgeons in private practice are not required to follow these rules, and critics say that unscrupulous providers are charging to perform the procedure on women who wouldn't want it if they had more information. Images of vulvae are absent from the popular media and advertising and do not appear in some anatomy textbooks, while community opposition to sex education limits the access that young women have to information about natural variation in labias. Many women have limited knowledge of vulval anatomy, and are unable to say what a normal vulva looks like.