Question: I have a friend who had her hood removed. She says it feels better and sex is much better now. I am thinking of having it done also. If you could send me any information about this I would appreciate it.

Answer: Whether or not you should have this surgical procedure done depends on your motive. It is seldom a necessity and can lead to new problems, if you already are dissatisfied with your sexuality. The hood protects the very sensitive clitoral glans. Many women find direct stimulation of their clitoris painful, not pleasurable. You may not want to have your clitoral glans constantly exposed to stimulation from your clothing, walking, etc.

Many women after hearing rave reviews from other women automatically expect the same to occur for them. This may not be the case in every situation. If you cannot reach orgasm or only do so with difficulty, removing you hood may or may not change that. You still may not experience orgasm during intercourse. For some women, the change is purely psychological. They feel something that was broken has been fixed so they expect more or feel better about sex and as a result are more sexual and sexually responsive. Once the newness factor has worn off things may return to the way it was prior to surgery.

Female circumcision, removal of the hood, has been presented as a form of sexual enhancement for about fifty years now yet it has never gained wide spread acceptance. For a while in the forties and fifties some doctors circumcised girls, teens, and women as a means of "curing" masturbation while others did the same procedure to increase sexual response. How can the same procedure have two totally different effects?

Educate yourself before having this procedure done, do not base your decision solely on the experiences of one person. See if there may be others ways of enhancing your sexuality. Circumcision is not a cure for a partner with poor sexual skills. There may also be a medical bases for you sexual dissatisfaction which circumcision will not cure.

When properly screened, the majority of women who are circumcised do report some benefit, but plastic surgeons seldom screen their patients; if you have the money, they will do it. They also charge a high price for a very simple surgical procedure.

I provide links to information about female genital surgery on the Links page; look under Plastic Surgeons. Also look at the page about Enhancement; there is a photograph of a woman's vulva before and after she had her hood and inner labia removed. You may also find some useful information on the page about Sexual Dissatisfaction.