Women's Experiences of Labiaplasty Collection
Depositor: Dr. Tina Benedik
'Sisters are Doin’ it for Themselves: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Experience of Labiaplasty' was a doctoral research project conducted at University College Dublin (UCD) from 2013-2017. It was funded by the Irish Research Council Government of Ireland 2015 Postgraduate Scholarship. The study explored women's experiences of labiaplasty, which is a newly emerged procedure in the field of cosmetic industry performed on external female genitalia to alter the appearance and address discomfort with clothing, exercise and intercourse. It investigated women's motivations for labiaplasty and the psychological, sexual and social outcomes postoperatively, including changes in women’s body image, physical functioning and sexual pleasure. In terms of methodology the project employed a creative application of feminist and social-psychological theories, and a qualitative phenomenological approach. Specifically, five in-depth interviews took place with adult women who underwent labiaplasty in the period 2012-2016 in the UK and South America. The participants resided in Ireland and the UK at the time of the interview.
Access this collection on the Digital Repository of Ireland: https://repository.dri.ie/catalog/kh04t467h