Posted on 01/11/2006 6:32:06 AM PST by NYer
WASHINGTON — Forget Botox, liposuction or breast enlargement. The newest trend in plastic surgery for women in the United States is vaginal reconstruction, including hymenoplasty, which offers patients new virginity.
The procedure has become so popular that it has topped the other more conventional surgeries such as face-lifts and breast enlargement.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says that vaginal surgery is one of the fastest growing trends in plastic surgery. In fact, as many as 30,000 women are said to opt for vaginal reconstruction yearly.
The procedure, also known as "revirgination", is being hawked in magazines, the Internet or on radio stations as a way for women to improve their sex life or enjoy a second honeymoon.
Ms Jeanette Yarborough, a medical assistant from San Antonio, Texas, said she decided to undergo hymenoplasty, which involves reattaching the hymen, as a special gift for her husband.
"I wasn't a virgin when we got married and I thought: What better gift to give my husband than revirgination?" the 40-year-old mother of four told AFP. "It was a real sentimental gift, it was something I could recreate for him and he was thrilled. He was like, 'Yeah, it was worth every penny'," she said.
Though long popular among women in the Middle East and Latin America, where being chaste is important on one's wedding night, hymenoplasty is experiencing new-found popularity among women in the US.
One clinic boasts on its Internet site that its practitioners "can repair the hymen as if nothing occurred". Many who undergo the procedure, which costs between US$1,800 ($2,900) and US$5,000, also ask that their vaginas be tightened, doctors say.
Ms Esmeralda Vanegas, owner of the Ridgewood Health and Beauty Center in New York, said business was booming with about five hymenoplasties performed every month.
"Hymenoplasty is for women who want to please their husband or their lover and they know that he wants to experience intercourse with a virgin," she said.
Ms Mary Blum, author of Flesh Wounds: The Culture of Cosmetic Surgery, expressed concern at the fact that such surgery was becoming part of mainstream America and was being marketed as a way to gain self-esteem or as part of the country's obsession with self-improvement.
"With hymenoplasty, one of the obvious problems is you're pretending nothing happened before," she told AFP. "It falls under the heading of rejuvenation, pretending your body has no history, so now it has no sexual history."
She added that such procedures were gaining in popularity in part because they were made affordable for the masses and were being touted as a consumer product rather than as invasive — and potentially dangerous — surgery.
"It's in the domain of 'Will I take a trip, buy a new car or get a hymenoplasty?'" she said.
Ms Blum said women like Ms Yarborough could probably make their husbands just as happy with a much cheaper and less medically-intrusive option. "She could have gotten him an inflatable doll," she said. — AGENCIES
lol...
It should be illegal to post pictures of Helen Thomas for any reason.
Pictures of Lynne Stewart went up at her thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1555997/posts
It should be illegal for them to claim to be women.
O ne ZOT! Worse than Helen Thomas!
Unless there had become space enough to park two '58 Buicks.
Definitely a toss up there!
Not buying it. Literally and figuratively.
ROTFL! I'm sorry Calpernia.
I've always though Southern women had a peculiar knack for conveniently rediscovering their lost virginity.
I suppose I should be thankful for this in today's world: At least, they pay lip service to the virtue of virginity.
Woooooooooow.
In the big scheme of things I figured that. I am glad that she has a happy family. Thanks for the post.
I never said you were an idiot nor would I for having children.
I've had the pleasure of hearing Tax-chick "talk" (via Freeper mail) about her children. I can assure you they're here as objects of love and not as tax deductions!
Sorry. Should have read further before positing!
Looks scrumpy! I've heard of it, but haven't read it yet. Adding it to my library request list. Thanks. :)
Bingo. Like about almost three years...
Well....except for laundry, yeah! ;)
susie
I do get tired of the adolescent boy culture we've created.
susie
FR's slipping. It took 150 posts for Helen to show up.
"also ask that their vaginas be tightened"
I just invented a gauge to test that.
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