A qualitative study on women's opinions and attitudes on cosmetic gynecology

Aim: Having become a trend in elective surgery in recent years, cosmetic gynecology refers to all aesthetic interventions in the female genital organs. With the advancement of communication technology and the increasing prevalence of the use of social media, the issues related to sexual organs, which have been accepted as social taboos and cannot be brought to the agenda, were noticed by women and started to become a topic of discussion. Therefore, this study aims to determine the knowledge and opinions of women about cosmetic gynecology. Subject and Method: This research was qualitatively conducted with 15 women of reproductive age. The data have been collected by conducting in-depth interviews with a semi-structured interview form and by taking audio recordings and analyzed through content analysis. Results: The data obtained were gathered under five main themes. These themes have discovered that women know that cosmetic gynecology is an aesthetic surgery performed in the genital area and there are some of them who have had some of these procedures. The reasons for cosmetic gynecology were coded under the headings including aesthetic appearance, sexuality and physical ailments. Women have expressed the effects of genital organ deformations on women as not being able to enjoy sexual intercourse, being disliked by the opposite sex, being disturbed by their appearance, and depressed mood; expressed its effects on men as being alienated from women, decreased sexual intercourse, and turning to other women. Conclusion: In the study, it has been determined that most of the women had heard of the field of cosmetic gynecology, that genital organ deformities had negative effects on men and women, and that they thought that the field of cosmetic gynecology was a promising profession. A recommendation can be that well-equipped health professionals provided care and counseling in order to inform women correctly on this issue.