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
Exactly. I sympathize with women in the Middle East who may feel their lives are at stake, but women in the U.S. have other options - such as being honest.
For a man who knows his wife/girlfriend isn't a virgin - because they've been married for 15 years and have children, for example - it almost seems like feeding a rapist instinct. If he's really into this, what's he going to do if his wife doesn't want to be "reconstructed" a second or third time?
Probably your husband is like mine, and cares about something in addition to appearance ... love, fidelity, humor, tolerance, patience, clean laundry, a balanced checkbook ...
And presumably, you can file the taxes :~D
Absolutely! I have to confess I got tripped by Alternative Minimum Tax once, though. It's been almost 20 years since my income tax courses, and 10 since I left my job, so I'm not up to date.
Well I haven't heard of folks doing this, fully well with the man they are with knowing they aren't just for the sake of it... most of what I have read or seen on this is gals who for whatever reason aren't (not divorced with kids) but wind up with a guy who wants them to be one, or get involved with a ethnic group man that highly expects it them to be.
I know if I was obsessed with taking someones virginity, I'd be out finding a virgin, not asking gals I know aren't to sew it back up so I could pretend.
WHAT???? You do laundry and can keep a checkbook balanced??? Damn.. not going to be able to keep from thinking of you all day ;)
More stupid women doing stupid things to make themselves feel better, unfreakinbelievable.
So what happens when the "Virginal Bride" and her husband meets up with one of her former lovers?
LOL!
Think about bringing home takeout Chinese, because my cooking is "What's with this casserole, again?"
I hope these women plan on allowing their men to cat about a little so they can truly appreciate the restoration work.
That was the example in the article, but I expect it's not the usual situation. As everyone's been saying, unless a man's really weird, he'd rather have a cruise or a plasma-TV than fake being with a virgin for the same cost.
BTW, since we're on this fairly wacked subject, there's lots of virgins whose hymen is gone long before they ever have sex the first time. It does wear away naturally, I guess mine did, I have no memory of it so it seems a bizarre concept to even contemplate as part of sex. Any girl who is active in sports or athletics at all, rides horses or has a bicycle, probably has no hymen any more. Which is why it's particularly barbaric when it is seen as some kind of a proof with consequences.
FRegards,
H-T
I actually strongly approve of this for poor women trapped with islamfascicsts. I read someplace they check the sheets on the wedding night for blood to "prove" the gal is a virgin, sounds like this surgery would save their lives. I would guess most of the women who have this surgery there were raped or molested and don't feel like being stoned. But it makes NO sense -- and is actually a little weird -- to think reattaching a piece of skin will make it like you never had sex. Your sexual experiences are still in your memory, you aren't fooling anyone.
Ah man.. Typical gal... teases you and leads you on.. and then BAM.. crushes it all with the truth. :)
Sorry, Gotta have a gal who can cook... after all looks fade, but you always gotta eat.
Forget the cost... man that's beyond freaky..
If ya want a virgin, go out and find a virgin. If you want to role play, get get a blood pack and place it in the area.. .if you are man "enough" you can have the blood if that's your thing.
Me personally, nothing against a little role play, but wouldn't require surgery by my partner to do it. Largest sex organs the mind.. know how to get that going, and the rest of her will follow you anywhere.
It was developed for women who came to America to study, but had to seem "pure" when they returned. To see Western women use it for vanity or some other perversion is, well, perverted.
SD
major wince reaction ... and i'm a guy
yowzers!
How about a nice Bravo Juliet?
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