A highly respected colleague of mine sent me a NY Times story on a physician who started a “pelvic health spa” for women modeled after dental offices that whiten teeth. The idea is to lure women into the office to teach them how to exercise their Kegel muscles, though the physician calls them by their newer name, pelvic floor exercises.

There may be some merit to having a strong pelvic floor, because weakness can cause incontinence, or involuntary leaking of urine. The muscles of the vagina are also connected to the pelvic floor, so exercises can tone the vagina and, for some women, improve sexual sensation and orgasm.

But not every woman needs this type of treatment. It isn’t like teeth whitening–pretty much if you live on the planet you are guaranteed to have teeth stained from tea, coffee, wine, etc., though if you ask me there are a lot of people running around who, when they smile, make me think, “Oh, you’ve had your teeth whitened!” Back to the pelvic floor, though. Young women usually don’t need treatment. And just because a woman is near or in menopause doesn’t mean her pelvic floor muscles are slack.

In any case, the physician has discovered a way to prey on many women’s already low self-esteem. Like the G-spot shot and “revirgination” surgery, here is yet another message that women’s bodies are just not okay “as is.”

If you do have problems with incontinence or you have noticed that you aren’t feeling as much sensation, then by all means you should discuss this with your gynecologist or a urogynecologist–a urologist for women). But don’t just go running out to pay for yet another service you might not need.

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