Monday, March 6, 2006

A "G-Shot" For The G-Spot

Considering that collagen is being used in all manner of plastic surgery procedures these days, it shouldn't be the least bit surprising to find out that women now have the option of having it injected into the G-Spot. Called the "G-Shot," this latest surgical use of collagen is the pet project of Dr. David Matlock, Beverly Hills (where else?) OB-GYN, laser surgeon and passionate defender of a woman's "right to orgasm," (which to the best of my knowledge, and this is purely from a legalistic perspective, is nowhere to be found in the Constitution. But I digress.)

At a cost of $1,800, the G-Shot is exactly what it sounds like: a shot of collagen to the G-Spot, which temporarily enlarges the area, making it easier to locate. After an initial consultation--during which Dr. Matlock first leaves the woman alone in the exam room to find her G-Spot (how nice of him!)--he injects her with a local anesthetic and then administers the collagen injection. The procedure takes less than half an hour.

"If a woman comes in at lunchtime, she'll be he here 20 minutes," says Dr. Matlock.

While Dr. Matlock's quick-fix sex shot may sound like just another expansion of the the ever growing cosmetic surgery menu, it does present one major difference: This procedure is all about utility, not vanity--while the functionality of the G-Spot is improved, no one is actually going to notice any changes to this area aesthetically.

Dr. Matlock presents himself as an ardent feminist, fighting for the rights of women to have their intimacy needs represented in what up until now has been an almost entirely male dominated marketplace.

"If you look in the 'Physicians' Desk Reference' guide, there are 18 different types of medications for men for sexual dsysfuntion," he says. "Is there anything remotely similar for women? They have been left behind in this whole sexual-function business."

Not everyone, however, thinks Dr. Matlock's G-Sot is such a great idea. Sex therapists in particular are skeptical about the merits of sticking a needle into into such a nerve-rich area of the body.

"Intuitively, I would shy away from injecting anything into the G-Spot," says Laura Berman, a sex therapist whose new book is "The Passion Prescription." "We don't know the long-term effects," she cautions.

Berman adds that the benefits of the G-Shot can actually be had more naturally. "You can achieve the same ends with some education and pelvic strength. If you strengthen your muscles and learn how to utilize them, you're essentially doing the same thing."

An additional advantage to following the "do it yourself" approach is that you have the ability to turn it off and on--unlike the G-Shot, which keeps the patient in a state of near-constant arousal for four months. (And the problem with that is?)

Ultimately, Berman says, "It depends on your philosophy: Are you a person who would rather get liposuction than work out?"

Dr. Matlock counters that there will always be those who desire instant gratification. And word of his new procedure is indeed spreading, especially among the younger female clientele, that the G-Shot makes for one wild ride.

"I get women 21, 22-years-old coming in, and I ask them why they want it," says Dr. Matlock. "And they say, Doctor, I just wanna freak! Women want to have the best sexual experience posssible. I see this as huge. Mark my words."