Vaginal Collagen Injections (File Under “Things I Will Not Be Doing”)

Via Margaret Cho’s blog I learned that collagen injections into the g-spot (such as the “G-Shot”) are now available that are supposed to enhance sensation. Margaret was less than impressed, noting that, “Now my vagina just feels like there is a gel insole in there. Like my cervix is wearing boot socks. I am totally asexual and I feel like I am sitting on a hemorrhoid donut all the time.”

One commenter smartly asks why the emphasis on the g-spot, asking, “I mean, I understand that there could be greater pleasure for women in that area, but why not just stimulate the areas that are NATURALLY pleasurable for them, even if that means that penetrative sex just doesn’t cut it?!” In other words, why get a shot to make doing things one specific way easier for someone else?

Apparently the shot was developed by one of those plastic surgeons with a “reality” television show, David Matlock. The San Francisco Chronicle did a piece on the topic last year, and noted the lack of real studies suggesting that the injection is helpful. While collagen injections have been FDA-approved for the treatment of some patients with urinary incontinence, the “G-shot” is an off-label use. From the piece:

Tiefer and Herbenick question the efficacy of the G-Shot, noting the lack of a double-blind study, which would inject some patients with collagen and others with a water solution. In sex research, Tiefer said, placebo effects are not uncommon. If a doctor tells a client she’s going to have great sex after taking a shot, without a double-blind study, it’s hard to tell if it’s true.

Matlock said he conducted a pilot study based on a 20-person sample. He asked patients, “Did it work or did it not?” and of those who responded, he reported 85 percent said the G-Shot was successful.

But Matlock refused to share the study or make the names of participants available. He also said a double-blind study would be ineffective for the G-Shot, as the client can feel the collagen bump, while a water-based injection would merely dissolve.

To date, Matlock has not published a peer-reviewed study of any kind. He said he’s gathering data to offer to medical peers and will release the findings on his Web site in coming months.

Can I just say that there is no way I’m getting shots in my vagina unless it’s medically necessary? Yes, multiple shots, because there is an anesthetic injection prior to the collagen. If you want to, fine, but count me out.