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Female Cosmetic Surgery

Checked: 23-06-2023 by Vicky Ryan Next Review: 23-06-2025

Funding Approval Required

Labiaplasty is not routinely funded by NHS BNSSG ICB.  Please see the BNSSG's Female Genitalia Surgery Policy - Exceptional Funding Request.

Clinical Guidance

St Michael's Hospital is experiencing an increase in the number of referrals for assessment for cosmetic genital surgery leading to unnecessary outpatient attendances. In response, the team at St Michaels have developed a leaflet which can be used by GPs alongside verbal reassurance to try and dispel misguided assumptions about vulval appearance.  Female genital appearance: what is normal? They also recommend the BritSPAG leaflet “So what is a vulva anyway?”, available at https://britspag.org, which has been developed with adolescents and discusses typical development. For those who are still concerned where no abnormality is present, referral to clinical psychology is recommended.



Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.