NHS Labiaplasty, advice from UK members please?

thank you for replying back I would keep you up to date.

Hello, I am in my early 20s and in Scotland and just thought I'd share my NHS experience/process so far, however I still have a long way to go:

March 2016: I visited my GP
- The GP I saw was a young female doctor - 30s I think
- She had a look at me and she was extremely sympathetic and I could see how deeply she cared.
- She kept reassuring me that I am definitely not abnormal and that I shouldn't feel self conscious as I am within the normal range, but also that she could see how it is a problem for me.
- She was then very nice in explaining my options. She said she would refer me to the closest NHS plastic surgeons for a consultation for labiaplasty, but she also explained that this could take a while and she gave me the number in case I wanted to speed up the process by paying for a quicker consultation.


7th April 2016: I received a letter from the plastic surgeons
- It said that unfortunately I need to go through the process of seeing a gynaecologist first and that unfortunately this will cause a delay, but they will refer me straight away.


22nd June 2016: I received my letter for my gynaecologist appointment


26th July 2016: Gynaecologist appointment at the hospital
- The gynaecologist was an older lady - I'd say late 60s or in her 70s
- She first talked to me about what was bothering me about my labia before her and a nurse eventually had a look
- Both in the conversation beforehand and after she had a look at me, she kept stressing that there is no "normal" variation of the labia minora as there haven't been any studies done
- However, she also said that mine were the upper limit and one of the largest/longest that she'd come across and that she can see why they cause such discomfort and emotional distress
- She told me the next step is to refer me to a a surgeon psychologist or psychiatrist (I am unsure which is correct)


Now:
- I am still waiting to here back about my next referral and it's mid October, and so I am getting anxious.
- I am even more worried as I have moved house/changed address so I am scared a letter has been sent to my old address
- I hope that isn't the case though as I signed for the NHS ecommunications (to get appointment letters online instead of by letter) and changed my address at my local GP surgery
- I contacted them yesterday to ask if there is a way I can find out if any communications have been sent to me so fingers crossed I haven't missed anything!

Also, if anyone is interested in why I want labiaplasty, here are my reasons:

- Since noticing that my labia minora were there (around age 12) I have felt so much discomfort, pain and embarrassment. I just felt so ab-normal and un-feminine, and that was without even knowing what vaginas looked like /a long time before seeing images of other women's parts!
- I have been so unhappy for years, even before I was sexually active and around 15/16 I remember sitting in front of a mirror with a pair of scissors contemplating cutting them off - but thank god I didn't!
- They cause me great discomfort and pain as they rub on everything and get irritated.
- The skin on them also seems to peel often and so I have to moisturise them and I have to take so much care washing down there every day as vaginal discharge gets stuck in the crevices of my labia minora.
- I haven't seen this reason mentioned before, but because they are so sensitive and rub on everything, I get aroused/sexually frustrated a ridiculous amount and it really effects me as it makes getting on with normal life/studying extremely difficult when when I'm so frustrated and distracted.
- Also, I can't pretend that cosmetically they don't affect me. How they look deeply upsets me. They are very long (more than 5cm) and completely different shapes from each other and one side is bulkier while the other is thinner and longer than the other. I just feel so ugly and unattractive down there.
It's a sad truth but I guess it's all down to the porn industry only using women with no inner labia that makes me feel even more disgusting. Also, guys my age / of my generation only see that and hence want that and think that having no inner labia/a tidy slit is normal
- I am in a long term relationship and have had other sexual partners before, but every time I have felt that my sex life is deeply impacted. Oral sex is never something I have felt comfortable with and I just never want my partner to get a good look down there ever. And so, with some sex positions I feel so deeply uncomfortable and embarrassed and I always will do. I have obviously been very upset about this and talked about it with my partner a number of times and he has tried his best to reassure me. At the start he was shocked that it was even a problem as he didn't see it as one, and he was so lovely and insisted he didn't care. However, after me getting upset about it a number of times, it now just causes arguments, his patience has dwindled and he doesn't reassure me anymore.


- Having labiaplasty would completely change my life, I know that sounds like such an exaggeration but it would stop the negative thoughts I have about my body every day, it would stop all the pain and irritation, and it would massively boost my confidence and sex life and hence relationships.
- I am still studying and hence I can't afford to pay for it myself or else I definitely would, and so I decided to start the ball rolling with the NHS

Hey Hun, here is the update I said I would do. I have just come back from Germany to have labiaplasty done. I paid €650 for the procedure, but £1000 in total including flights and accommodation, which if you have looked into getting the procedure done privately it's a massive saving. It wasn't as bad as I expected the worst part was the local anestetic going in! Pain wise since it has been uncomfortable with clothes chafing and having to sit for so long to get back with my baby bouncing up and down on me but, bearable! I have looked and it's not as bad as I expected, obviously swollen but peeing is fine. I have been spraying with water afterwards to keep the area clean. If you want to as anything please feel free :) x

I am 40 years old and have wanted labiaplasty for over 20 years.

I was referred to panel by my GPS but unfortunately I accepted under nhs.

I want to get labiaplasty so much as my life is so effected.

Could you confirm the details of where you went please

I also live in Teesside and I am desperate to speak to someone on this topic and the discomfort, embarrassment, anxiety, distressed and more often than not pain I experience is now taking its toll on me. I would be happy to answer any questions or take part in any research. Thank you

Hey girls. Have loved reading through this post. Very interesting. I'm 23 and really want my labia reduced. Couldn't care less about the clitoral good etc. Just don't want them danggly bits getting in the way anymore. I'm sick of it. I gave up horse riding at 14 (never told anyone the reason why) I can't ride the bike my partner bought me (it's just too uncomfy) I hate going swimming because of it. I constantly have to "rearrange" myself. And to be honest it's now affecting me so much that I'm ready to cut them myself then take a trip to a&e and get stiches. I feel it's been wrose since having my daughter, they hurt and get in the way during sex. Going to see my GP in two weeks time. Pretty sure I'll cry. I lie in bed at night crying about it.
Thank you all for taking the time to post on here, it's very reasuring knowing I'm not the only one.

Hey! So sorry for my delayed reply... I had the procedure done in a clinic called opus medical in Belgium, they have clinics in England to but it's triple the price.... the man who did it was lovely and very professional. X

Get a plastic surgeon who has experience. Ask a lot of questions, and ask to see pics of his/her work. Gyn are not trained in this specialty. Get an expert please. You will be much happier.

Hi, how did you go about getting the procedure done abroad because did you not have to have a consultation or discuss with the surgeon beforehand?
I’m seriously considering going abroad because I cannot afford the prices to have it done private in UK and have been declined by NHS due to ‘no surgeons willing to perform the procedure’ I’m desperate to have it done, It has caused infections, bleeding, being trapped, cannot ride a bike, cannot wear a thong, will not let any boy near me, major discomfort.
Thanks

Hi all,

I have just had Labiaplasty done on the NHS two days ago. I thought I would share my story on here as being an active reader over the years helped me pluck up the courage to finally take action and make an appointment to see my GP.

So... here goes!! About 10 months ago I made an appointment to see my GP to discuss my concerns about the size and discomfort of my labia. It had been an issue I severally struggled with both mentally and physically due to the appearance and the pain and discomfort it would cause wearing certain clothing, during sex etc.. After addressing these concerns with my GP, she was very understanding and told me that she would refer me to a gynaecologist- mentioning that the waiting list was crazy long and she couldn’t gaurentee that they would do anything about it. At this point, I was just relieved. I was so happy that I was actually getting referred and that my GP understood my concerns.

Fast forward 7 months (Nov 2017) I received my gynae appointment letter. The gynaecologist was a male, which surprisingly didn’t bother me at all. He was so empathetic and understanding and came straight out and said that he was happy to carry out the procedure on the NHS. I could not believe it. I immediately felt SO thankful that my experience and process to this point had been very easy which I know hasn’t been the case for a lot of women.

The gynaecologist talked through the procedure and what it entailed, including waiting times etc- which was around 8-9 months (Summer 2018). Again, at this point I didn’t care much on waiting times as I was just so happy that everything went well. So off I went, post gynae appointment- happy as Larry, to find a parking ticket on my car lol... (mind you, I was still happy as Larry).. ha!!

Anyway... fast forward to Friday the 2nd of March (just 4 days ago), I got a letter through the door to say I would have my procedure done on MONDAY the 5th of March!!! AHH!! My first thought. I should probablyyyyyy tell my mum as she had no idea about anything..

So.. Monday morning came and I was feeling extremely calm- no nerves in sight. Just excitement and relief. When I arrived at the hospital, I spoke with the surgeon carrying out the procedure to discuss my concerns and my hopes post procedure... the usual stuff...

Post procedure:

Its nearly 3 days post procedure and thankfully, I have had very little pain or bleeding and no infection *touch wood*. Peeing is also fine- which was something I often felt anxious about and dreaded the thought of. So I’m hopeful that I will have a speedy recovery and get back to normal activities very soon.

So that being said, I hope sharing my story will give someone that push to take action and to remember things are never as bad as they seem. I can be a huge worrier and quite shy at the best of times, and looking back I know i could have had this all over me years ago if I didn’t hold back in making that initial step to see my GP.

I’ll be sure to keep you all posted if anything changes.

All the best!

Hi there,

I’m so sorry to hear that you were declined by the NHS. Would you consider getting a second opinion before opting to go private?? I live in Northern Ireland and have just had it carried out on the NHS two days ago so I defiantly think a lot of it depends on who you get/speak with.

Like you have mentioned, I wouldn’t have been in the financial state to have gone privately- so I made this very clear to my GP and stressed the extent of my concerns both physically and mentally and how it interfered with my sex life.

if you have any questions, I would be happy to help you out in anyway I can.