Innie v Outie Labia: Listener Question

Innie vs Outies: no, we are not referring to bellybuttons. In this episode, we’re talking about the labia of the Volva! Does it actually matter? Which one is more common? Now, this episode was actually sparked by a brilliant listener who sent us her question to our IG inbox (as a non-clinician): “Can having an innie labia actually cause me to have recurrent bacterial vaginosis?” Such a good question, right? So today, we’re going to break down what the medical literature actually says about anatomy and BV. Plus, well answer the question: What is ACOG’s stance on elective labioplasty? Grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and let’s normalize the normal.

1. Lykkebo AW, Drue HC, Lam JUH, Guldberg R. The Size of Labia Minora and Perception of Genital Appearance: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2017 Jul;21(3):198-203. doi: 10.1097/LGT.0000000000000308. PMID: 28369012.

2. Aydın A, Atılgan AE, Sönmez MG, Sönmez L, Boğa MS, Balasar M. Do variations in labial anatomy have an effect on recurrent urinary tract infection? Int Urogynecol J. 2020 Oct;31(10):2129-2136. doi: 10.1007/s00192-020-04310-8. Epub 2020 May 9. PMID: 32388633.

3. Elective Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2020. Committee on Gynecologic PracticeGuideline

4. ACOG Committee Opinion 795: Elective Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery; 2020 (reaffirmed 2026)