Part I - Who Needs a "G-Shot" Anyhow? By Good Vibrations Staff Sexologist Carol Queen, Ph.D

The so-called "G-Shot" procedure is the latest in a long line of medical or pharmacological interventions in sexual pleasure or functioning. Yes, it is the latest Big Thing in the sex world to debunk.

A Los Angeles plastic surgeon has come up with a new enhancement strategy that he's teaching to other docs. This procedure involves a collagen injection into a woman's anterior vaginal wall to purportedly emphasize sexual sensation from her G-spot.

Remember penis enlargement surgery, that staple of Internet spam? Remember last year's gizmo, stumbled upon by a chiropractor, that purported to cause orgasm in women by the careful positioning of electrodes? Remember "Lady Viagra," the so-far-elusive pill that would get gals revved up as fast as their men, or ensure fabulous orgasms, or maybe even take care of the dishes and the lawn work so partners could book in a little more time for canoodling?

Think too of the last Big Thing the plastic surgeons unveiled for us women: labia work, so no woman has to wonder whether her pink bits look so different from Jenna Jameson's that a fellow wouldn't recognize them for what they are. Oh, and there's also vaginal tightening, that's apparently not just for postpartum moms any more.

To be sure, there are some women and men who suffer from true sexual dysfunction, who need and could really use pharmaceutical or other medical help.

But most people with sexual issues do not fall into this category. Most people who are unhappy with their sex lives have partners with whom they are incompatible in some way, or they (and their partners) suffer from insufficient or incorrect information about sexual arousal, pleasure and functioning.

Plus, Americans harbor the "Fix it, Doctor" belief that a visit to the physician can and will cure what ails them, even if "what ails ‘em" is not, in fact, an ailment at all.

The real problem with innovations like the "G-Shot" is not that they might not work, though news coverage like the Sf Chronicle's recent article about the procedure
devoted scant ink to that possibility.

The real problem is that these Next Big sex Things obscure the role of good, old-fashioned sexual and anatomical knowledge and the ability of partners to communicate about what they like, what they want, and what works best to arouse and satisfy. They also obscure the fact that different people may best be pleased by different things. That's because, simply, everyone is not alike.

But then, why would a plastic surgeon devote any time at all to explaining this? There's no money in that for him, as there assuredly is for doing the "G-Shot" and the next procedure and the next.

Just as most MDs don't take the time to look up from writing a prescription for Viagra to say "Oh, by the way, if you simply cut out fatty foods and nicotine, cut down on alcohol, and walk twenty minutes every day, you probably wouldn't need this stuff."

If most of the new breed of "G-Shot" docs won't take the time to tell their female patients the basic information needed to succeed at sex, who will?

Ever hear of sex educators? Where do you find them in America? Well, you find them on the sales floor at your local Good Vibrations store. Or, you find them teaching classes at the Center for sex & Culture. Or, you find them doing individual consultations as members of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality or the American Association of sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists.

Anyone dissatisfied enough with her or his sex life to consider a visit to a plastic surgeon might want to take some time to learn how sexual pleasure really works before allowing someone who hasn't been trained as a sex specialist to point needles or scalpels at their tender bits.

About Carol Queen:

Carol Queen, Ph.D. blogs at www.carolqueenblog.com, works as Staff Sexologist and Chief Cultural Officer at Good Vibrations (www.goodvibes.com), and co-founded and directs the Center for sex & Culture (www.sexandculture.org). More about her work and writings is available at www.carolqueen.com. Dr. Carol Queen, PhD is available for interviews.

About Good Vibrations:

Good Vibrations is the San Francisco-based retailer trusted for nearly three decades to provide a comfortable, safe environment for finding sex-positive products and educational materials to enhance one’s sex life. Good Vibrations offers its products through its retail stores, mail order catalog and its web store: www.goodvibes.com.