"My mom was extremely insistent in putting me through a labiaplasty"

“When I was between 14-15 years old, my mom was extremely insistent in putting me through a labiaplasty – because as you can see my labia are showing a little bit. My mom used to say that this wasn’t normal and I didn’t look 'pretty'. I grew up with that insecurity for so long, thinking maybe no one will want to be with me because of the look of my vulva. And I was so scared about going through that kind of surgery because it just sounded painful and uncomfortable. I decided to ignore my mom’s opinions, and at the end, I just learned to accept my body just the way it is. I have followed The Vulva Gallery for 2 years, maybe, and since I started watching more and more types of vulvas, the diversity just made me simply love my body more and be confident about it. I’m 22 years old now, and I can say that the insecurity about my vulva’s look is gone. Every body is different and beautiful in its own way, and nobody should tell you what to do to make it look better, that decision is only up to YOU.”

– W, 22 years old, Venezuela (she/her)