NHS-funded cosmetic surgery on female genitalia increased from 400 to 1,100 procedures between 2002 and 2008. Most operations were to reduce protuberance of labia minora from between the labia majora. Morphology of female genitalia may vary. A woman may be aware of such variability from seeing other people’s bodies or looking at pictures and films. These may contribute to a concept of what is normal and in part to women’s anxieties about their own bodies. The authors looked at differences in female genitalia from three genres of imagery: online pornography, textbooks and feminist publications. Dr Richard Ma comments: 'GPs may be used to dealing with men who present with anxieties about erectile difficulties and penis size; however, we may be less able to deal with women with anxieties about genital morphology as they tend not to present as often. This paper helps us to understand some of the causes of these anxieties and aids our own understanding of the norm.'