Warning: Some of the subject matter below may shock or offend readers.
Oh, what to get for the man in your life who already has everything? For some wives, the answer is clear: re-virgenization surgery.
No, despite its name, vaginoplasty is not a savage procedure practiced in third-world countries. As it happens, the controversial cosmetic surgery, also known as vaginal rejuvenation, is quickly rising in popularity throughout the U.S.
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons says that vaginal surgery is one of the fastest growing trends in plastic surgery. In fact, as many as 30,000 women are said to opt for vaginal reconstruction yearly.
The cosmetic procedure tightens the vagina by removing excess vaginal lining and tightening the surrounding soft tissues, helping to create the illusion of virginity. Another surgery often performed at the same time - hymenoplasty, or the re-attachment of the hymen - wipes away a woman's sexual history in a matter of hours and completes the effect.
According to Ms Esmeralda Vanegas, owner of the Ridgewood Health and Beauty Center in New York, business was booming with about five hymenoplasties performed every month.
"Hymenoplasty is for women who want to please their husband or their lover and they know that he wants to experience intercourse with a virgin," she said."
Hmmm. So when frantically searching for the perfect anniversary gift to say "I love you," - and concert tickets, a tropical vacation, or an old-fashioned, romantic dinner simply don't get the message across - women can magically restore their virginity. Way to set the women's movement back a few hundred years. But maybe if we hear the logic behind this decision from some of the patients, themselves, we might think otherwise:
A 26-year-old Latin American woman who lives in New York's Queens had a hymen repair in 2001 and says it took almost two months for her to feel comfortable again. It took even longer for her to enjoy sex.
The married mother of two says she's glad she had the surgery nonetheless. She says her husband wanted to experience intercourse with a virgin. "If a woman isn't a virgin when she gets married, a man can always put her down for that," says the woman.
Wow, sounds like a quality man you got there. Hold on to that catch. But seriously, ladies, is it that hard to think up a creative birthday present? Before laying down the $6,000 for vaginoplasty or $3,500 for hymenoplasty, take a moment to think about what you're doing. I mean, really think.
