When was the last time you looked “down there?” Have you ever looked “down there?”

Celebrities and regular women alike be-dazzle and be-sparkle down there. Some women have intimate piercings and many trim and wax for personal or relationship enhancement. Some women are even opting for surgery.

Studies have shown that women who feel good about their body are more comfortable being naked and having sex with the lights on. They’re also more likely to try new sexual activities. To me that’s obvious—if you feel good about yourself you’re more likely to share yourself and enjoy it.

Understand your genitalia

In order to deforest and decorate, you need to know what’s where down there. The external parts are the vulva; this includes the inner and outer lips (labia). The part in the front, usually covered with hair, is the mons pubis, which sounds romantic, I think. Your vagina is internal and often called the birth canal.

Pubic hair removal is a growth industry (pun intended). We know that younger women, being partnered (but not married), are more open to receiving oral sex, and likely having a more positive image of one’s genitalia, are more apt to opt for pubic hair removal.

Considering surgery

Women are more than waxing away, they’re undergoing surgery to change their “downstairs.” Genitoplasty is a fast growing segment of plastic surgery that’s widely advertised (and expensive).

Labiaplasty changes the size or appearance of the vaginal lips. Some women do this for comfort but most do it for aesthetics. Another surgery removes the clitoral hood (the skin that partly covers the very sensitive clitoris) to “enhance sensitivity.” This may enhance sensation, but do you want to be stimulated constantly? Nature takes care of this as the hood naturally retracts during sexual excitement.

Then there’s vaginal rejuvenation where the vagina is tightened; this is said to be helpful for male pleasure if your vagina has been stretched through childbirth. And how about the G-spot injection where collagen is injected into the vaginal wall at just the right spot? Know that any kind of messing around down there has the potential to cause infection (it's not a sterile place to begin with) so follow instructions about cleansing to the letter.

As a nurse and midwife, I have seen my fair share of female genitals. And I respect the right of all women to spend their time and money as they see fit to satisfy themselves as sexual beings, such as on lotions and potions, to hide the signs of aging, and yes, for surgery too.

What’s important is that whatever you do down there, you do it for reasons you find personally necessary and satisfying, which ultimately will help you feel more confident as a sexual woman down there when you’re “out there.”