Fitting the vulvas: Online discussion on labiaplasty

Abstract

This article aims to analyse the arguments or reasons that participants in Croatian online forum subtopic named ‘Labiaplasty – labia correction’ put forward as motives for opting for a labiaplasty procedure or as a rationale for having the procedure done. The emphasis of the analysis will be on those reasons or arguments that were predicated on functionality (of the vulva). Functionality is understood both in terms of changes in – or the desire to change – specific physical sensations or limitations and in those aspects evident in the psychological, emotional or cognitive effects of thinking about the procedure or the procedure once performed. Given that the analytical part of the work focuses on analysing textual material (the content of posts on the forum), the fundamental methodological basis of this work is a feminist critical discourse analysis. The analysis points to two main conclusions. First, it is necessary to include a broader context in the discussion on labiaplasty. Second, an analysed online forum on labiaplasty functions primarily on supportive principles, and it does not support critical approaches that reveal more general gender inequality aspects.