By PV Durga
Say hello to the “G Shot”, an injection that a Chennai-based doctor says will enlarge your G spot and give you multiple orgasms. Dr Deepa Ganesh, who works as a senior consultant at Lifeline Multispeciality Hospital in Chennai, says she’s India’s first certified Cosmetic Gynaecologist, and completed a 5-month training course under David Matlock (a cosmetic surgeon who has been recommending this shot to his patients since 2002. He’s also known for having sculpted himself the “perfect wife”) last year. We read about it and had a million questions. Was the injection for real? Were G-spots even real? Had the injection been tested? How come it wasn’t FDA-approved? Was it safe? Did it have side-effects? And as usual, isn’t medicine too obsessed with penetrative sex? Here’s what Dr Ganesh had to tell us.
Tell us a little about the G Shot, and how it is administered.
There are two types of orgasms that women experience. One is clitoral, and the other is during intercourse. Very few women experience an orgasm during intercourse, because their partners do not hit the right spot. The G Spot is a small, highly erogenous area which is 3-5 mm in size. The G Shot injects collagen into the area, and temporarily augments it to about 7-10 mm, making it supersensitive. This takes their sexual drive to the peak, and a heightened state of arousal, which eventually leads to multiple orgasms. It is a simple, 10 minute procedure which involves a vaginal examination and injecting the G Spot.
Isn’t the G Spot in itself is a long debated concept?
Actually, USA based Dr Adam Ostrzenski wrote a paper in 2012 proving the existence of the G Spot. This news was out in the American media too. He said that it is a small region, which is 3- 5 mm in size. [Editor’s note: read this critique of Ostrzenski’s claims by Dr Petra Boynton.]
Sexual satisfaction is a very subjective concept, and not all women derive pleasure from the G Spot. Doesn’t this limit the reach of the injection, in terms of the number of women it can actually help?
The G Shot is only one of the many procedures in cosmetic gynecology. There are numerous procedures in cosmetic gynecology that help in altering the shape of women’s private parts. Procedures such as Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation have medical purposes, as they help in solving problems of urinary incontinence which women experience due to childbirth or ageing. It also helps to aesthetically alter the look of the vagina. The G Shot comes as a boon, especially for middle aged women, who have lax vaginas if they have had normal deliveries. For such women, a combination of vaginal rejuvenation and the G Shot is recommended. This injection works for any normal, sexually active woman.
The G Shot is a temporary augmentation, whose effects last for about 3 to 5 months. Does it mean that women will have to keep taking this repeatedly? Have the side effects of such repeated usage been analysed?
Some women come back for the shot if they are happy with it. The effect lasts between 3 to 5 months, and differs from one woman to another. This is a completely natural injection, because it is collagen based. However, Dr David has noted that repeated usage leads to a temporary burning sensation and urinary tract infections in some, all of which are curable with medicines. There are no major side effects.
Medical breakthroughs have always had doubts looming large over them. The cervical cancer vaccine, for example, was censured for using Indian girls as guinea pigs in the name of dispensing healthcare. Moreover, it was said that hyaluronic acid, which is a part of the G Shot injection’s composition, had not been approved by the FDA in America for safe vaginal use. Have there been studies proving its efficacy and safety?
Firstly, the G Shot is not a vaccine, while the cervical cancer (HPV vaccine) one is. The HPV Vaccine is not injected in the vaginal region. There are no such problems with the G Shot, because it is natural, and drug free [as it is made up of collagen, she clarifies], unlike the HPV cervical cancer vaccine. The effect of the injection wears off in 3 to 5 months, because the collagen gets biodegraded in the body of the woman. Moreover, this injection is patented and being used since 2002 in the USA. It is also becoming popular in Australia, Europe, Dubai, and Thailand.
The cost of this injection is between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000. Doesn’t that make it accessible only to a certain class of people?
As I said, the G Shot is a temporary augmentation of the G Spot, and is not meant for people who are not sexually active. The procedure costs between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000 because I import a kit from Dr David Matlock in the USA. It is more expensive in America, because it costs around 2,500 dollars there, which is roughly 1.6 lakhs in Indian currency, and is not very affordable in our Indian set up. That is why it is priced only between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000.
Is there awareness about such procedures in cosmetic gynaecology?
There needs to be awareness among the community of doctors first. I have been talking about it to magazines and newspapers, and spreading awareness about it in my health talks. Also, when patients approach me, I let them open up about their medical history, and let them know about such options.
Do you think such cosmetic procedures place an increasing pressure on women to be perfect, and makes them subscribe to the idea of a “perfect” vagina to satisfy their male partners?
Cosmetic gynaecology is a group of procedures that are cosmetic in nature, and some medically necessary. They are performed to either improve function or appearance or both. Such procedures are extremely helpful when intimacy levels between couple come down after having children. More and more women want to look fit and healthy these days. The G Shot increases sexual arousal, and helps those who are looking for better sexual experience or want to explore their sexuality. Good sex benefits both men and women, and has a positive impact, not just psychologically, but on the family life of the couple too.
The expression of female sexuality has a lot of negativity associated with it. How has the acceptance of the G Shot been so far?
Yes. While there are women who approach us for this shot, many want strict confidentiality to be maintained. Cosmetic gynaecology procedures, like vaginal rejuvenation also help to solve problems like urinary incontinence, which women experience because of childbirth or ageing. There are also many women who want to aesthetically alter the look of their private parts and make them look better. For them procedures like laser designer vaginoplasty come in handy Indians are conservative, because we don’t talk if we are not satisfied with our partners. But changes are coming in, and more women belonging to different age groups are approaching me. So, there is a change, although it is slow. Initially, procedures like Botox were a taboo too, but are very common now. Similarly, the attitude towards cosmetic gynaecology will change maybe in another five to seven years.