Sexual education in school, self-exploration, and experimentation and communication with partners have all been found to be common sites for learning about women’s genitals and forming preferences ( Mullinax, Schick, and Herbenick 2014). Such information could be used to create health education messaging that further promotes positive body image and genital self-image. However, it is also important to understand women's positive perceptions of their bodies, which may not be merely the inverse of negative perceptions. 2005, Stewart and Spencer 2002, Yamamiya, Cash, and Thompson 2006). 2003, Bitzer, Giraldi, and Pfaus 2013, Curtin et al. Understanding what women dislike about their bodies has value, particularly given potential sexual and health consequences ( Berman et al. The majority of this research has been quantitative close-ended responses and oftentimes focused on negative perceptions. 2005, Herbenick 2009, Reinholtz and Muehlenhard 1995, Herbenick and Reece 2010). Several studies have measured men’s and women’s feeling and beliefs about their own genitals ( Winter 1989, Berman et al. Partner concerns are specifically mentioned in several FGCS advertisements, as well ( Liao, Taghinejadi, and Creighton 2012). A recent review of FGCS advertisements found aesthetic concerns mentioned on all websites sampled ( Liao, Taghinejadi, and Creighton 2012). Women often state aesthetic concerns, for example, disliking visibility of labia minora, shape, colour, and asymmetry, as reasons for surgery, and these issues are mirrored in advertisements and public discourse on the procedures ( Braun 2010). The recent increase in female genital cosmetic surgery (FGCS), concerning because of varied ethical and medical reasons ( Braun 2010), suggests an increase in women’s specific aesthetic concerns about the appearance of their genitals ( Malone 2013, Rao and Sharma 2012). Regarding women’s sexual health specifically, it has been noted that women may delay gynaecological care due to concerns about having a health care provider view their genitals and may feel more comfortable letting a healthcare provider view their genitals if they have positive genital perceptions ( Stewart and Spencer 2002, DeMaria, Hollub, and Herbenick 2011, DeMaria, Hollub, and Herbenick 2012). Although research cites women's feelings and beliefs about their genitals as an important factor in their sexual experiences, the relationship remains under examined. Common themes that have arisen in research suggest that women’s sexual behaviours may be influenced by concerns related to their genital appearance, size, vaginal tightness, taste, and smell ( Braun and Kitzinger 2001, Braun and Wilkinson 2001, Kerner 2004, Levin 2004, Karasz and Anderson 2003). In general, for women, sexual satisfaction is predicted by high body esteem and low frequency of appearance-base distracting thoughts in sexual activity ( Pujols, Meston, and Seal 2010, Woertman and van den Brink 2012). Previous research shows a relationship between body self-consciousness and decreased sexual pleasure, arousability, sexual functioning, sexual assertiveness, sexual self-esteem, and condom-use self-efficacy, and higher levels of sexual avoidance, ambivalence in sexual decision making, and sexual risk taking ( Berman et al. An understanding of attitudes toward genitals, genital perceptions, and genital self-image is increasingly important given the range of ways people interact with or make choices about their own or their partners’ genitals ( Herbenick et al.
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