When lingerie model and London blogger Tracy Kiss went to the doctor with a burning pain in her labia minora, she had no idea that her life was about to be changed forever. Her doctor told her the pain was because of a cyst caused by “excess labia tissue.”
“I have always found wearing underwear, jeans, cycling, and sitting on hard surfaces very uncomfortable on a daily basis and didn’t actually realize it was because my genitals were different to what is normal — if there is such a thing,” Tracy told Teen Vogue via email.
Tracy's labia minora was longer than her labia majora, causing it to protrude from her body — which led to severe pain, irritation, and eventually, a cyst. Because this kind of pain isn't often talked about, Tracy had no idea that the pain she was experiencing wasn't something all people with labia have — but during that doctor's appointment, she discovered that she would "forever be at risk of cysts occurring" with no ability to prevent them...other than a labiaplasty, a surgery to remove the excess tissue. After her second cyst within a month, the pain became "unbearable," and she decided to have surgery — but she had a request for her surgeons.
"Seeing as I was awake for my labiaplasty surgery, whilst chatting to my surgeon, I casually asked if I could keep my labia as a trophy of finally being pain-free," Tracy told Teen Vogue.
The surgery was "absolutely life-changing" for Tracy. "I feel gutted that I went 29 years without knowing there was anything wrong with me,” she said. "If I'd been told during sex education at school or given advice by a midwife during my pregnancy, then I'd have made the decision a lot sooner to have treatment."
Tracy, who had previously kept the first cut of hair from the hairdressers from her two children as well as their baby teeth, kept her labia in the surgical fluid. "I left them on a French dresser for the best part of a year, and they turned gray and curly, so I decided to look into a long-term way to preserve them," she explained.
During her research, Tracy decided the best way to go would be to turn the symbol of her chronic pain into a necklace. "Nobody recognized my necklace contains labia because it's not something you would ever expect to see, but...I did see my glittery labia pendant as a reminder to never suffer in silence,” she told Teen Vogue.
Though Tracy has dealt with her fair share of online trolls as a result of the necklace going viral, many appreciate her decision. "I know it's not every day you research methods to preserve body parts, but once the shock factor is out of the way, it's pretty empowering and uplifting," she said. "I've had so many young women contact me saying they're living with the same pain I'd always faced and how it's a relief to know there is treatment available."
And that's the whole point — what Tracy went through is something many others experience, too. She's right in that there's no such thing as "normal" genitals, but she points out that if we spoke more about pain and reproductive health, she and others may have had to endure that pain for a little less long.
That's why she’ll never stop sharing her experiences. “The only way we can break down taboos and open communication about our health...is to talk about it,” she said. “...[I hope] it will inspire others to know their bodies better and seek help now that they know it’s available…[Y]ou don’t have to live in pain.”
Related: How to Masturbate if You Have a Vagina
