Forget the weird cosmetic things happening in Florida (dentists performing breast augmentations, surgeons putting in used implants, etc.), now a Manhattan gynecologist is jumping on the cosmetic bandwagon. Apparently it’s not enough to do pap smears and deliver babies, the big bucks are in coming up with new cosmetic procedures to market to everyone with a pair.

The vagina appears to be the new frontier for cosmetic medicine.  There’s a whole array of proceduress that the good gyno has designed just for us.  Dr. Romanzi (in a New York Times interview with Natasha Singer) claims that she’s focusing on helping women with bladder issues post-babies, but what it really sounds like is she’s targeting women that will do anything to obtain and retain a man.  The main focus seems to be on strengthening Kegel muscles (like the fancy gyno exam to determine how strong you are), and making the area look pretty.  Am I missing something?

Not all gynecologists have felt the need to explore cosmetics. One doctor even seemed to have his head on straight: “Dr. Berenson questioned whether healthy women need any kind of pelvic strengthening or cosmetic procedure.”  Thank goodness that someone’s out there telling women to leave well enough alone.  Dr. Romanzi’s using face lasers to make the vulva look “better” and she claims that they’re just fine on that area even though there’s no research to support that. So there are a few reasons why other OB/GYN’s are cautious about Phit (Pelvic Health Integrated Techniques) www.theperfectphit.com.

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m completely happy just leaving that area alone until some type of medical intervention is deemed necessary…oh, like CANCER, or I’m urinating when I sneeze (I’ve heard that happens, and I’m hoping to avoid)! I’m not even sure that I get “vaginal rejuvenation”. The whole idea of tightening things, makes me think that an inevitable rip, tear, or just plain pain, is in my future.

What about you?  Will you be working “pelvic fitness” into your schedule any time soon?

~Kacey

Jezebel, I Must, I Must Enhance My Bust! Cheaper than implants, and apparently as effective as a cold shower (no, really, read the article), Rodial’s “boob job” is flying off the shelves. Doesn’t anybody like their chest the way it is? If you’re out there, let us know!

Guardian, Enhanced profits at the cutting edge of plastic surgery Never mind the pun; plastic surgery is extremely profitable in England, and they’re catching up to the U.S. quick.

Shakesville, I Done Good–Where’s My Sexual Gratification? “Hey guys, recycle! ‘Cause we’ll totally get with you if you do.” Thank you for touching on this, Shakesville; this kind of sexist advertising follows us everywhere, so much that sometimes we don’t even notice.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Author advises women on creating a tasteful image Oh, thank god. Simon Doonan, creative director for Barney’s New York (you’ve seen him on VH1, I’m sure), has condemned the “whorish norm” of current women’s fashions. Maybe now people will listen? … Anybody?

Adweek (via Jezebel), Gamers Will Not Be Denied Their Ample Boobs An outcry was raised when a video game’s sequel forgot to give the female characters huge racks. But worry not! “The company also told gamers it was ‘working on a fix for this, and your breasts should be back to normal soon.’” Hmm, breasts that change size in just a day or two. Where have we seen this before?

Comedy Central, How Barbara Walters Saved the World from Hillary’s Thunder Thighs Oh, dear. Wrong way to go on this one, buddy. That’s all we’ll say.

Our weekly round-up of breast implant and women’s health news is back, ladies and gents! Please enjoy our take on current stories, trends and things that make us do a double-take.

The Feminist’s Corner: Eyebrow-tweezing, makeup don’t make women Amanda Teuscher muses on personal appearance and feminism, something we all should think about.

Jezebel , Modeling Is Not The Road To Self-Esteem She’s Got the Look pits 35-and-older women against each other for a modeling contract. We’ll probably watch it too, and we know it’s great for all generations to feel good about how they look, but we agree: Don’t confuse a camera flash with self-worth!

May 28, 2008 - International Day of Action for Women’s Health Last Wednesday was a global call to action to support women internationally in a broad range of health issues. This year’s theme was “Stop conflict being waged upon women’s bodies,” and you can still help! Visit the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights for more info.

Our Bodies, Ourselves, 28 Days to a Bikini Mind Finally, a plan we want to stick to! What better way to celebrate summer?

Essential Presence, Why bother calling me a bitch when you can just shoot me? Young African-American girl doesn’t give a guy her number, ends up in the hospital. This blog has a poignant and honest take on the whole thing.

In Your Face, British women opt for smaller breasts, unlike Americans In Britain, plastic surgeons perform one breast reduction for every two breast augmentations. In the US, the rate is less than one to twelve.

Finally, just in time for that big ol’ movie we’ve been hearing about, a survey from In Your Face finds that women think men find them more attractive after plastic surgery and Botox. And that SJP is beloved by women and reviled by men, in part for her refusal to support cosmetic procedures. What do you think? Go vote and tell ‘em!

As most of us have already heard, on May 12, 2008, China suffered a devastating earthquake. When these types of disasters hit, it always seems to be the ordinary people that turn out to be the biggest heroes of all. Police officer, Jiang Xiaojuan, mother to a 6 month old son became “China’s heroic Mother.” When Jiang was called into duty what she found was babies crying in hunger. Jiang’s instincts kicked in and she breastfed babies that had been separated from their mother’s who had been orphaned by the quake, at one point breastfeeding 9 babies. See the post on BlogHer about it here.

Many have been making comments about Jiang’s selfless and beautiful act. Jiang herself says “I am breastfeeding, so I can feed babies. I didn’t think of it much, it is a mother’s reaction and a basic duty as a police officer to help.”

It is stories like these of this selfless mother that remind us not only of the power of human kindness, but also how important breastfeeding can be in an emergency or natural disaster.

Creators of Joe Camel and other very childish ads for very dangerous products would love the ad campaign for new weight loss drug, the Pink Patch. Surfing the web the past couple of months, I keep coming across the disturbing series of banner-ads at the tops of my favorite websites. You’ve probably seen ads for the Pink Patch, too, and perhaps your curiosity was also tickled by the bright pink, sparkly banner saying “Lose those pesky 5 pounds!” Normally I have no problem ignoring the continuous onslaught of weight-loss ads that I encounter online. These particularly caught my attention however, because they are unabashedly targeted towards young women and seem to be on every single website I visit.

Upon clicking on the ad (yes, my curiosity won me over), I was directed to the Pink Patch website. Wading through the hot pink text and smiling underweight models, I searched for concrete information on what active ingredients the patch actually contains and how it may work. Instead, I was encountered with countless and insulting implications about my personal body image and the importance of being “skinny”. I was promised “the hottest body and the dream life!” Not only was I insulted by their direct association between thinness and happiness, but the absurd promise of a “dream life” in large, hot pink italics was sickeningly similar to a Barbie advertisement. This only emphasizes the ads appeal to the youngest generation of eating disorder victims. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, eating disorders frequently appear during adolescence or young adulthood, but reports indicate that they can develop during childhood as well. Scrolling down, the site then asks me if my body makes me feel depressed. No, Pink Patch, it’s the proliferation of drug-pushers like you, feeding off of young women’s insecurities that makes me depressed!

The patch supposedly works by releasing the “natural herbal” ingredients into your blood system at a constant rate, which will somehow decrease your appetite. The ingredients listed on the site are Fucus Vesiculosus, Extrac, 5-HTP, Guarana, Zinc Pyruvate, Yerba Mate, Flaxseed Oil, Lecithin, L-Carnitine. I have never heard of any of these substances being effectively released into the blood stream through the skin, nor having significant weight-loss capabilities. The safety and efficacy of this product have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug administration. I have so far been unable to find any studies from reliable sources that discuss the safety or efficacy of this product. According to WebMD, 5-HTP has not been proven to effectively promote weight loss and is under constant scrutiny for safety. In larger doses, 5-HTP may have a negative effect on the liver. Yerba Mate has not been proven to promote weight loss. Some case reports of poisoning (leading to hospitalization) with this agent have been reported and excessive use may be linked to cancer of the esophagus. Guarana speeds up the brain’s activity and is used to promote weight loss due to its stimulant and diuretic effect. However, some of the extracts of guarana have been known to cause prolonged bleeding and interact with blood thinner medication. Side effects from guarana may include nausea, dizziness and anxiousness. The Mayo Clinic warns us that “dietary supplements and weight-loss aids aren’t subject to the same rigorous standards as are prescription drugs or medications sold over-the-counter. Thus, they can be marketed with limited proof of effectiveness or safety. Vendors can make health claims about products based on their own review and interpretation of studies without the authorization of the FDA.”

The Pink Patch site repeatedly urges you to try a free one week supply. Young women stumbling upon this site might think that there is no harm in ordering the free trial, but this is wrong for so many reasons. Most basically, people should be wary of any site that asks for their credit card information when ordering free trials. Posts from young women on various chat sites (Yahoo! Answers, handbag.com, etc.) have shown that people often have trouble getting thepinkpatch.com to stop billing them after the initial shipping and handling fee. Financial concerns aside, ordering the Pink Patch may only deepen a young woman’s frustration, desperation, and body image issues when it ultimately fails to help her lose weight. In the unlikely case that it does work to help her lose weight, we still don’t know enough about the safety of the product or the long-term side effects. The best-case scenario is that the product is effective and safe, but this still leads to disillusionment for the girl that realizes being skinny hasn’t made her any happier because she still never learned to love herself from the inside.

Girls considering the Pink Patch need to immediately assess their own self esteem and bodily health. If you are actually overweight and would like to lose weight in order to be healthier, there are infinite ways to enjoy exercise and nutritional foods to reach your goal. If you are already within a normal weight range and are considering the Pink Patch to get “skinny,” you need to realize that skinny girls aren’t automatically happy girls. You would be much better off learning to love your body and take care of it in a healthy way!

For young women looking for tips on healthy weight management, I recommend Weight-control Information Network site for teenagers, which can be found at http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/take_charge.htm. The site also includes a list of other useful resources that you may want to read if you would like to lose weight.

For more information on healthy body image, check out these ten steps to a positive body image from the National Eating Disorder Association: http://www.stuaff.niu.edu/csdc/10STEPBI.pdf

On the last day of Women’s History Month, my pride and pleasure in this celebration was diminished by the appearance of an article in Newsweek Magazine by two women journalists at the top of their profession, journalists who until now have always done wonderful work on women’s health issues.

Barbara Kantrowitz and Pat Wingert each have long, distinguished careers emblazoned with some of the most prestigious awards in the news profession. How then could they have produced “Chest Right,” an article intended to inform the public of what we need to know about getting breast implants? This news item is poorly researched, badly sourced and ill thought out, a far cry from the level of journalism we’ve come to expect from these women.

The article’s most obvious shortcoming is lack of balanced sourcing. Kantrowitz and Wingert quote three experts; all have personal stakes in seeing the breast implant business thrive. Not only are Drs. Laurie Casas, Richard D’Amico and Foad Nahai all practicing plastic surgeons, D’Amico is president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and Nahai is president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Had Kantrowitz and Wingert spoken to independent experts critical of breast implant safety, perhaps they could have managed to avoid buying into the world of manageable and acceptable risk so carefully crafted by the aesthetic industry. Shallow digging would have turned up extensive information on extremely high complication rates, the controversy around safety studies as well as the FDA’s ineffectual handling of breast implants, and the many, many tragic stories of women whose health and lives were harmed by implants. But none of these darker strands of the breast implant story found their way into the article.

The article makes critical omissions and gives just plain bad advice, of which here are just a few examples:

o The article tells us that silicone implants were restricted for 14 years, due to the FDA “responding to concerns from patients and some doctors.” This characterization minimizes the reality of what actually happened by failing to mention the thousands of law suits against implant manufacturers that lead to the FDA taking that step, as well as the Dow Corning class action litigation that resulted in the largest class action settlement in history up to that point.

o The article overlooks a key FDA safety requirement that all potential implant recipients need to know: that doctors instruct implant recipients to undergo biannual MRI exams to guard against rupture.

o The article asserts that, “About a quarter of patients have some kind of complication within the first two years after their first surgery.” Yet studies have shown that the complication rate could be as high as 50 percent within three years, and rising as the implants age.

o The article urges women to do their research by listening to their plastic surgeons, but never suggests that independent research is also critical as the advice of the surgeons may be compromised by the lucrative fees they receive for breast augmentation procedures.

Breast implants are the most popular cosmetic surgery in this country. Close to 350,000 women underwent the procedure in 2007. In a few short years, counting long-time implant recipients and cancer patients, the number of women with implants could exceed 10 million if the current growing demand for them continues. Yet, it is the most invasive of cosmetic surgeries, and the device one of the most defective, with terrible health and financial risks that have and will continue to harm a great proportion of implant recipients.

The ramifications of breast implants are not well understood by the public because news media, still male-dominated, have largely found this issue to be of little interest, even as they splash the story of steroids in sports on front pages and in endless news loops. This is why it is so disheartening when the topic of breast implants is mishandled by women journalists, particularly by the elite few who’ve managed to attain the positions of influence and respect that Kantrowitz and Wingert have. These journalists seem to have turned a deaf ear to the other side of the breast implant story, which is not one of recaptured youth or improved self-esteem, but one of tens of thousands of women suffering from debilitating illness, disfigurement, bankruptcy and families broken by the emotional and financial stress.

I am puzzled that the editors of Newsweek gave a pass to this article, sourced exclusively by experts who profit from implants. I am disappointed that this article appears less like news than a public relations piece bent on perpetuating the false public sense of manageable and minimal breast implant risk. Perhaps more disappointing than the story itself, however, is the failure of Kantrowitz and Wingert to pull out their finely honed journalism skills and just do a professional job on an important women’s health issue that has far too few champions in the media as it is.

Echidne of the Snakes An award-winning progressive feminist blog with enough good reads to keep you scrolling for hours. We particularly liked her take on single mothers, gender studies and the next generation’s My Little Pony.

Wall Street Journal Health Blog, As Botox Soars, Cosmetic Surgery Sags Never mind the “sagging” pun; the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has released new numbers on the types of cosmetic surgeries performed from 2000 to 2007. Note that breast augmentation is still going up.

Big Fat Deal, A Perfect Size 4 Sweet Valley High is getting an update, changing the clothing size of the teenage twin protagonists from “a perfect size 6″ to a “perfect size 4.” It’s ostensibly to update the books for the modern generation (check out the letter from the publisher posted at Gawker), and we don’t have to tell you why that’s infuriating.

Fametastic, Sarah Jessica Parker’s Surprise Over “Unsexiest Woman Alive” Title Parker is being characterized as “snitty” for a recent interview where she reacts in anger to Maxim’s disgusting poll. She’s not mad about being on the list, people; she’s mad (and rightly so) that this even exists!

The Vancouver Sun, Doctor Proposes Men’s Health Care Center Doctor Larry Goldenberg thinks men need specialized health care too, and (no giggling, please) refers to the penis as “the canary in the mineshaft” for male diseases. All jokes aside, it’s got to make you think: are women really that far ahead in terms of addressing their health concerns?

East Valley Tribune, No Taxation for Breast Augmentation Arizona senators decided to give a tax break to women with “non-original equipment,” bringing up a debate over the exact distinction between reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.

The terrific video is from The Feminist Majority in honor of Women’s History Month.

And Sybil says, “A feminist is someone who can expect medical care that doesn’t prey on her sense of self. “

The reading list is long today, ladies and gents… there’s a lot to talk about!

FOX, Woman Claims Police Caused Breast Implant to Burst While we won’t comment on if this woman instigated her scuffle with a North Carolina police officer, we’re curious to see how her ruptured implant will affect her case in court.

Guanabee, “Spanx” Now Hold In Your Unsightly Boobies as well as Your Hideous, Mutant Gut Guanabee has a different take on the Bra-lellujah by Spanx (remember their fat-sucking, butt-shaping panties?) Yes, it’s just a bra, but it’s one more sign that people are forgetting (or refusing to remember) what natural bodies look like.

University of Florida News, Is Bigger Better? Breast Surgery Linked to Boost in Self-Esteem and Sexuality When we found this article popping up on Google recently, we also found this one from Associated Content: Complications from Breast Implants Lead to Low Self-Esteem, Problems with Sex Life.

The Canadian Press, Behind the Beauties, Nips and Tucks: A Look Inside the Beauty Pageant Universe This beauty contestant trainer doesn’t “coax” the future Ms. Universe to get plastic surgery, but if she does it on her own, she deserves a pat on the back. Um… does anyone else think that’s a little off?

Feministing, Dainty Ladies Don’t Menstruate My, how advertising has changed…

The Body Image Project As if we haven’t given you enough to chew on this week, here is a compelling read: women post anonymously about their body image perceptions. Feel free to post your own.

Marie Claire, My Best Friend’s Boob Job When we first saw this article we thought, “Great, yet another story of how someone based her self-esteem on her bra size.” But then, mid-appointment, she went home.

MSNBC.com, Legislator Wants Tighter Rules on Plastic Surgery You probably heard how Kanye West’s mother died last year after having several plastic surgery procedures performed by a non-board certified doctor. An Illinois lawmaker wants to make something of it. We hope she wins!

Times Online, Cosmetic Surgery: Make Me The Way I Was Some surgeons claim that 50% of their work involves “un-doing” plastic surgery operations that patients regretted. It’s a long read, but we love the quote at the end.

Jezebel, Missdemeanors Our friends at Jezebel write a weekly feature that sticks up for women that are disrespected by gossip bloggers. You may have read the very blog they’re chastizing and not have had a second thought; thanks, ladies, for keeping us all on our toes! (And creating such a good graphic, too!)