Exploration of parental consent for adolescent involvement in genital body image education research.

Genital body image is a highly understudied concept but is important for sexual health and broader body image satisfaction. Effective genital body image interventions for adolescents have been developed, however, parental consent can be a barrier to adolescent participation. The aim of this study was to conduct a novel exploration of parental consent for genital body image education research and factors related to this consent. Participants were 125 parents of adolescents in Australia who completed an online questionnaire including measures of demographic characteristics, personality traits and attitudes, and likelihood of consent for an adolescent son and daughter participating in hypothetical genital body image education research. The vast majority of parents indicated that they definitely would consent to their adolescent sons' and daughters' involvement in this hypothetical research. There was no significant difference in likelihood of consent based on the gender of the adolescent. Parents having more conservative attitudes towards sex was the only factor tested that reduced the likelihood of providing consent. Overall, our results suggest parents are generally supportive of adolescent involvement in genital body image education research. This concept should be included in broader body image educational programs so adolescents gain exposure to this important but neglected topic.

Patient Perspectives on Intimate Relationship Outcomes After Labiaplasty: A Preliminary Qualitative Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The popularity of labiaplasty has increased over the last decade and patients consistently report high levels of satisfaction with outcomes. Specifically, patients generally experience improved sexual satisfaction, but there is very limited research on the impacts on intimate relationships more broadly, even though these experiences are often crucial to women's lives. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to conduct an in-depth qualitative exploration of the impacts of labiaplasty on intimate relationship quality. Qualitative semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with adult women (n = 15), who had undergone labiaplasty between 1 and 72 months previously (mean [standard deviation], 28.1 [24.3] months). Participants were asked about any perceived changes to their intimate relationships and how labiaplasty may have influenced those changes (if any). Thematic analysis of the transcribed interview data was performed. RESULTS: The results showed that most women reported greater confidence engaging in new relationships, and partaking in subsequent sexual experiences was also commonly reported. However, other women reported no changes to their intimate relationship quality after labiaplasty. Over half of the women reported concerns that their current or a future partner may perceive their postsurgery genital appearance as not "natural." CONCLUSIONS: The current study adds some novel depth and nuance to the impacts of labiaplasty on intimate relationship quality. Although most women experience improved sexual confidence in their intimate relationships, a proportion may also experience concerns around their partner's reactions to the surgery.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of intensive treatment options for adults with eating disorders.

Eating disorders (EDs) are complex conditions with one of the highest mortality rates among psychiatric illnesses. While outpatient evidence-based treatments for EDs in adults exist, there is often utilisation of more intensive interventions as part of treatment. However, a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of intensive treatment (inpatient, residential and day program) on physical and psychosocial outcomes is lacking. Thus, the current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the effectiveness of intensive treatments in adults with EDs for the outcomes of body mass index (BMI), disordered eating, depression, and quality of life, as well as a moderation analysis investigating a range of clinical characteristics. Overall, 62 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed that intensive treatment in adults yielded significant improvements in BMI (for underweight patients), disordered eating, depression, and quality of life. Treatment setting, length of stay and geographical region of the study all served as moderators for disordered eating and depression. Nevertheless, given the high heterogeneity in the meta- and moderation analyses, these results should be interpreted with caution. Future high-quality research is needed to determine the most beneficial elements of intensive treatment (compared to outpatient) in adults with EDs.

Examining health professional perspectives on social media body image movements: A qualitative exploration.

There has been a lack of investigation into the understanding of social media body image movements from the healthcare perspective. Health professionals can have a strong influence on how their patients relate to their own bodies, including experiences of weight-based discrimination. This study examined the perspectives of health professionals on body image social media movements and whether they believed they were relevant to their professional practice. This study recruited 30 medical and allied health professionals to participate in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to generate common themes across the data. Overall, participants identified benefits associated with body positivity online content, but expressed concerns for the health status of influencers with larger bodies and that overall, the pro-anorexia movement was harmful. Despite having limited understanding and exposure to the body neutrality movement, participants generally preferred it over body positivity. Finally, participants stated that they believed that these movements were relevant to their practice, yet were rarely discussed in consults. These findings suggest there is a lack of body image-based discussions despite the relevance to patient health across multiple domains. This indicates that health professionals may benefit from social media literacy training to support thorough assessment and treatment of their patients.

Beyond Motivations: A Qualitative Pilot Exploration of Women's Experiences Prior to Labiaplasty.

BACKGROUND: The demand for labiaplasty has increased rapidly over the last 10 to 15 years. Women's reasons for pursuing the procedure have been thoroughly documented in the literature, but other preoperative aspects are less well defined. These include women's expected outcomes, concerns about having the surgery, and the impacts of support from others in their personal lives as well as their treating team. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore women's preoperative labiaplasty experiences, particularly expectations, concerns, and interpersonal support. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were completed with 15 adult women in the United States and Australia who had undergone a labia minora reduction. The women were asked about their motivations for having a labiaplasty, expected outcomes, concerns regarding surgery, and support received from family members, friends, and the treating surgeon. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Two overarching themes with accompanying subthemes emerged from the analyses: (1) "motivations/influences" which included appearance concerns, physical discomfort, negative impacts on self-confidence, and negative experiences with partners and/or peers; and (2) "perceptions approaching labiaplasty procedure" where women reported concerns about recovery duration and impacts on sexual sensation as well as expectations for their postoperative vulvar appearance to be "neat," "tidy," and "natural." In addition, the women stated that they felt well supported by their surgeons prior to the procedure, but some felt too embarrassed to seek support from family members and friends. CONCLUSIONS: These new insights into women's preoperative experiences may assist clinical teams in enhancing their support and education of women seeking labiaplasty.

Genital body image education in young adolescent girls: A proof of concept pilot study.

Our research team previously developed a brief educational video aimed at increasing adolescent girls' knowledge of the variation in cisgender female genital appearance and improving attitudes towards genital appearance. This video was efficacious with 16-18-year-old girls, but their feedback suggested that younger girls may gain greater benefit. Owing to the younger age group and sensitivity of the topic, we undertook a small pilot study, using a mixed methods approach (quantitative followed by qualitative study phase), to explore the understanding of 13-15-year-old girls of their genital anatomy and body image, and their impressions of the video. The sample (N = 6) showed, on average, low-to-moderate levels of genital anatomical knowledge and genital appearance satisfaction. In qualitative interviews, thematic analysis showed girls had received limited genital-related sexual education and had not considered genitals to be part of their concept of body image. However, after watching the video, they reported an appreciation of the diversity in genital appearance and encouraged use of the video in schools to prompt discussions about genital body image. There are broader implications of this research, namely, that the education of girls about the diversity in genital appearance could be important in improving their future gynaecological and sexual well-being.

Men's Experiences and Psychological Outcomes of Nonsurgical Medical Penile Girth Augmentation: A Preliminary Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The popularity of penile augmentation procedures is increasing, but investigation into men's experiences with these procedures and their impact on psychological well-being is lacking. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate men's experiences with nonsurgical medical penile girth augmentation and assess, based on valid psychological measures, the impacts these procedures have on psychological well-being. METHODS: Men seeking to undergo a girth augmentation (n = 19) completed an online questionnaire prior to their procedure and 6 months later that contained standardized measures assessing impacts of the procedure, penile size self-discrepancy, body dysmorphic disorder, psychological distress, self-esteem, and body image-related quality of life. Girth size was also measured preprocedure and 6 months postprocedure for a subsample of men. RESULTS: Almost half of the men reported positive impacts of "increased self-confidence" and "increased sexual pleasure" after their procedure. Despite an average girth increase of 3.29 cm, the men still perceived that their penile girth and length was less than what they should be or less than the ideal size after their augmentation procedure. However, this perceived discrepancy was significantly smaller than before their procedures. Prior to the procedure, the men who met diagnostic criteria for body dysmorphic disorder according to self-reported questionnaire (11%, n = 2/19) and clinical interview (7%, n = 1/15) lost this diagnosis at 6 months. There were no changes in psychological distress, self-esteem, or body image-related quality of life from pre- to postprocedure. CONCLUSIONS: Men report positive impacts on their lives after penile girth augmentation, but impacts on broader psychological well-being are mixed.

Motivations and Psychological Characteristics of Men Seeking Penile Girth Augmentation.

BACKGROUND: The popularity of penile augmentation procedures is increasing, but little is known about the motivations and psychological characteristics of men who seek these procedures. OBJECTIVES: Employing valid psychological measures, the authors sought to investigate the motivations and psychological characteristics of men seeking penile girth augmentation. METHODS: Men seeking to undergo a penile girth augmentation (n = 37) completed an online questionnaire containing standardized measures assessing their motivations to undergo augmentation, penile size self-discrepancy, psychological distress, self-esteem, body image-related quality of life, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), and cosmetic procedure screening scale-penile focused dysmorphic disorder. RESULTS: Men's motivations for seeking penile girth augmentation were characterized as "improve self-confidence," "change penile size/appearance," "sexual function/pleasure," "feelings of insecurity," and "medical issues," with self-confidence being the most commonly reported motivation. The men perceived their actual penis size (girth, flaccid length, erect length) as significantly smaller than ideal size, the size they believed their penis should be, and their expected size postaugmentation. Compared with non-clinical norms, the men seeking penile augmentation had higher penile dysmorphic disorder symptoms, lower self-esteem and lower body image-related quality of life, but comparable psychological distress. In addition, 4 of the men met diagnostic criteria for BDD according to self-reported questionnaire (11%, n = 4/37) and clinical interview (14%, n = 4/29). CONCLUSIONS: Men seek penile girth augmentation for a variety of reasons and perceive all their penile dimensions to be smaller than ideal sizes. They differ from non-clinical samples in some psychological characteristics, and a small but sizeable portion experience BDD.

Genital Self-Image in Adolescent Girls: The Effectiveness of a Brief Educational Video.

The study investigated the effectiveness of a very brief video aimed at increasing adolescent girls' knowledge of the variation in normal female genital appearance and improving their attitudes towards their own genitals. The video was developed by the researchers and included information about the anatomical features of cisgender female genitals and their function, as well as emphasizing the diversity in the appearance of these features, particularly the external genitalia or vulvar region. A sample of 343 female adolescents aged 16-18 years were randomly assigned to view the educational video or a control video. The educational video significantly increased the girls' knowledge of female genital anatomy. The educational video also significantly increased genital appearance satisfaction and decreased consideration of undergoing cosmetic genital surgery or labiaplasty in the future. The participants who watched the educational video were also more likely to recommend focusing on the diversity in normal female genital appearance when educating other young people on the topic of female genital anatomy. Our results suggest that a very brief educational video could be a useful tool to assist young girls with their genital self-image.