Researchers have revealed the type of vagina that men find most attractive.
In two recent studies, on average, men aged 18 to 80 said they preferred their partners to have smaller, ‘tucked in’ genitalia with very little pubic hair.
Younger men preferred the tightest vaginas with least amount of hair, which some experts have theorized could be due to men’s exposure to pornography warping their views of sex and creating unrealistic expectations of female anatomy.
Meanwhile, another study found that nearly half of men said they’ve had negative thoughts about their partners’ vaginas.
The pressures of porn and male demands may also be driving a major surge in vaginal plastic surgeries, which have risen more than 70 percent in the last decade.
As cosmetic surgery for women’s genitals has become more commons, researchers looked at what men found most attractive
A 2015 survey published in the American Journal of Obstretrics and Gynecology asked 2,403 US men between ages 18 and 80 which vulva shape they preferred.
The average participant age was 55.
The majority of men surveyed were white (87 percent), married (68 percent), employed (69 percent), and had at least a high school education (97 percent).
About one-third of respondents lived in the south, while other regions were more equally represented. About 32 percent reported living in large urban cities.
Additionally, 39 percent said they had more than 10 sexual partners in the past, while 17.8 percent had six to 10.
The men were given a 27-question email questionnaire featuring six images of real vaginas and diagrams of female anatomy.
The groups of images were followed up with a question about the participants’ preference of labial size and pubic hair style.
For labia size, participants could choose from the following options: small, medium, large, no preference, and ‘I don’t know.’
The following choices were given for pubic hair style: natural, trimmed/partially groomed, partially removed, complete removal, and no preference.
Finally, men surveyed were asked if they were familiar with vaginal tightening procedures and if they would encourage their female partner to alter her genital appearance or pursue surgery if he didn’t prefer the look of her vagina.
Just 63 percent men were able to correctly label parts of the female anatomy, with the clitorus and anus most often being properly identified, and 63 percent found the labia minora, the inner vaginal lips.
The researchers found that men ages 18 to 24 were three times more likely to find only a small labia attractive.
Those with 10 or more sexual partners were also most likely to opt for this look.
About 43 percent overall considered a small labia the most appealing, while another 43 percent preferred the middle-sized labia.
Meanwhile, just 24 percent favored a large labia. And just under half of the men surveyed (46 percent) said that bigger anatomy was ‘unattractive.’
Just 16 percent of men said that smaller labias were unattractive, and one-fifth said the same about mid-sized ones.
Researchers found that men most often found small labias attractive, while larger labia lips were seen as unattractive
Men also most often preferred groomed pubic hair and were least likely to choose ‘natural’ hair
However, 36 percent had a neutral opinion and didn’t prefer one size over the other.
In terms of pubic hair, most men (67 percent) opted for the partially groomed look, and 47 percent preferred completely shaved.
When asked for about their hair preferences, 16 percent said they preferred a natural hair pattern, 39 percent chose partial hair removal, 24 percent opted for completely shaved, and 19 percent had no preference.
Just over half of the men surveyed (51 percent) reported that a woman’s genitalia appearance would influence if he wanted to have sex with her, though 60 percent said it wouldn’t matter.
And three-quarters said they wouldn’t encourage their partner to get cosmetic surgery on her vagina.
Overall, men ages 18 to 24 and those with more sexual partners preferred smaller labias and were more likely to consider natural pubic hair unappealing.
Meanwhile, men living in the south and who were employed full time more commonly said they would encourage their partner to get cosmetic surgery. Those living in the Midwest were the least familiar with labiaplasty.
‘While many of the men did not exhibit strong preferences regarding hair patterns, groomed labia were deemed attractive most often,’ the researchers wrote.
‘These findings are consistent with pubic hair removal practices performed by today’s women.’
‘Although younger men showed a preference for smaller labia, this trend was not seen in the older populations, possibly suggesting this perception to be related to social trends, such as what is seen in the media, and this influence might decrease with age.’
A study in the International Urogynecology Journal surveyed 248 men in Australia about their vaginal preferences and how they viewed their partners’ genitalia.
The vast majority of the men surveyed (81.5 percent) were between ages 18 and 24, and 75.5 percent were white.
An overwhelming majority of 93 percent were also heterosexual, with just over half being in a relationship.
Additionally, 77 percent had at least a bachelor’s degree.
The researchers found that 75 percent of men in a relationship thought their partners’ genitals were ‘completely normal,’ and just three percent considered them ‘not normal at all.’
About 73 percent said they were satisfied with their partners’ vaginas, 23 percent were neutral, and four percent were unsatisfied.
The team also found that men most commonly (45 percent) preferred a completely hairless vagina, while about 25 percent opted for a trimmed look. And only five percent said that a natural look was their preference.
When asked to name their ideal labia, about half of the respondents didn’t have a preference, though 30 percent said they wanted ‘small and tucked in.’
Additionally, 45 percent said they had thought about female genitals in a negative way.
Participants most commonly said their opinions were influenced by pornography, medical images, previous partners, and men’s magazines.
‘It seems unreasonable to expect that these sorts of discussions are not reflective of discourse in the wider population or that such perceptions do not impact on women and the way they think about their own genitals,’ the researchers wrote.
It comes as cosmetic surgeries to get a ‘designer vagina’ to look better in tight clothing like leggings and swimsuits are on the rise.
The procedures aim to change the outer areas of a woman’s genitals, including the vulva and the labia.
The vulva is the part of a woman’s genitals located on the outside of her body. It contains the labia, clitoris, and the opening to the urethra.
The labia’s lips are the folds of skin around the vaginal opening. The labia majora are the fleshy area covered with pubic hair, while the labia minora are inside of those outer lips.
The labia can range in size and be either pink or brown. Its appearance is also subject to change with age.
The clitoris is located at the top of the vulva where the labia lips meet. It’s made of spongy tissue that becomes when a woman is aroused.
A labiaplasty involves shortening or reshaping the vaginal lips. The procedures are on the rise, according to the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery National Databank.
The group found that 18,813 labiaplasty surgeries were performed in the US in 2021, a 36 percent increase from 2020. Around the world, 164,667 procedures were done in 2020, a 73 percent jump from 2015.
