title: Young women's genital self-image and effects of exposure to pictures of natural vulvas.
abstract: Many women have doubts about the normality of the physical appearance of their vulvas. This study measured genital self-image in a convenience sample of college-educated women, and assessed whether exposure to pictures of natural vulvas influenced their genital self-image.
  
  
  
  Forty-three women were either shown pictures of natural vulvas (N = 29) or pictures of neutral objects (N = 14). Genital self-image was measured before and after exposure to the pictures and two weeks later. Sexual function, sexual distress, self-esteem and trait anxiety were measured to investigate whether these factors influenced genital self-image scores after vulva picture exposure.
  
  
  
  A majority of the participants felt generally positively about their genitals. Having been exposed to pictures of natural vulvas resulted in an even more positive genital self-image, irrespective of levels of sexual function, sexual distress, self-esteem and trait anxiety. In the women who had seen the vulva pictures, the positive effect on genital self-image was still present after two weeks.
  
  
  
  The results of this study seem to indicate that even in young women with a relatively positive genital self-image, exposure to pictures of a large variety of natural vulvas positively affects genital self-image. This finding may suggest that exposure to pictures of natural vulvas may also lead to a more positive genital self-image in women who consider labiaplasty.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynecology , Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynecology , Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Daphne K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Martoredjo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynecology , Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hesselink
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynecology , Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nóinín
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Snijders
authors.affiliation: a Department of Sexology and Psychosomatic Gynecology , Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam , the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rik H W
authors.initials: RHW
authors.lastname: van Lunsen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012649:Self Concept; D014844:Vulva; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Genital self-image; labiaplasty; natural vulvas; self-esteem; sexual function