Niko enjoys the bouncing cab ride a little more than she expected.
They call it the G-Shot. Collagen is injected on top of the G-spot (if it exists) to enhance its size. The G-Shot was invented by a Doc in LA (of course) who claims it enhances sexual arousal and gratification.
I hadn’t heard of the G-shot till yesterday, when OBS Housekeeper emailed me asking if it was for real. Apparently, Niko had her G-spot enhanced in the season opener of Lipstick Jungle. Talk about product placement – it was a silly plot angle that really made little sense in an episode that was about much more serious issues.
But what about it? Is the G-Shot legit?
Smells like a racket to me.
My definition of a racket? Any expensive medical procedure (in this case $1850) not covered by insurance, whose clinical outcomes have been reported on a website and in the media instead of a peer review journal. Not to mention those three little words that should set alarm bells ringing whenever you read them in conjunction with an invasive medical procedure -“Results may vary”.
Is the G-Shot safe?
The shot uses FDA-approved collagen, which, if administered correctly (into the vagina and not into the urethra), should be relatively safe. Urologists for years have been using collagen to “bulk up” the urethra as a treatment for urinary incontinence, although that treatment has yet to be proven to have more than limited efficacy.
But take a look at this partial list of possible complications from the G-Shot website –
Bleeding, Infections, Urinary retentions, Accelerated collagen re-absorption, No effect at all, Allergic reactions, Hematoma (collection of blood), Collagen site ulceration, Urethral injury, Hematuria (blood in urine), UTI (Urinary Tract Infection), Urinary Urgency, Urinary Frequency, Increased/worsening nocturia (waking up several times at night to urinate), Change in urinary stream, Urethral vaginal fistula (hole between urethra and vagina), Vesico-vaginal fistula (hole between bladder and vagina), Dyspareunia (Painful intersourse), Need for subsequent surgery, Alteration of vaginal sensations, Scar formation (vaginal), Urethral stricture (abnormal narrowing of the urethra), Local tissue infarction and necrosis, Yeast infections, Vaginal Discharges, Spotting between periods, Bladder Pains, Overactive Bladder (OAB), Bladder Fullness, Exposed Material, Pelvic Pains, Pelvic Heaviness, Collagen injected into the bladder or urethra, Erosion, Fatigue, Damage to nearby organs including bladder, urethra and ureters, Alteration of bladder dynamics, Post-operative pain, Prolonged pain, Intractable pain, Failed procedure, Varied results, Psychological alterations, Relationship problems, Decreased sexual function, Possible hospitalization for treatment of complications, Lidocaine toxicity, Anesthesia reaction, Embolism, Depression, Reactions to medications including anaphylaxis, Nerve damage, Permanent numbness, Slow healing, Swelling, Sexual dysfunction, Allergy to Collagen material, Collagen migration, Nodule formation
and you tell me – Are these risks you are willing to take for a procedure whose “results may vary”?
But what about the product testimonials?
Ah, the product testimonal. The hallmark of every new product marketing campaign. There is nothing that sells a product better than a woman with a story to tell who is being paid to tell it.
Product testimonials are not proof of efficacy. They are nothing more than a single person’s experience with a product or procedure. Even if it is a true experience, the circumstances are not controlled for other variables that might be effecting the outcome, including the placebo effect. And there has to be a significant placebo effect of G-spot enhancement.
Think about it. Suppose you are someone who actually believes the G-spot exists, making you a bit impressionable to start with. Now, I’m gonna’ put something into your vagina that you will be able to feel. It might be a bit uncomfortable, but not very much so. Or, as Niko says when Brooke Shields asks her if she is in pain – “I don’t know what I’m in, all I know is that I can’t sit through a 2 hour dinner.”
But what if I’ve told you that the uncomfortable sensation is really a sexual sensation? (Ah, the fine line between pain and pleasure..) Now, every time you notice the sensation, you’re going to naturally think about sex, aren’t you? And the longer the sensation lasts, the longer and more often you’re gonna’ be thinking about sex. In fact, you’re thinking about sex a lot more than you normally do. All the time, actually. And every time you have sex, that little bump I made is going to get knocked around, reminding you of what a sexy gal you’ve become, reinforcing those positive sexy feelings you are experiencing, and wait a minute – was that a multiple orgasm you just had?
Now, suppose instead that I injected a lump of collagen into your vagina and told you that it might make you feel uncomfortable. That sitting might be difficult for a few days. That there are potential side effects such as pain with intercourse or painful urination you’ll need to watch out for.
Now imagine how you would feel every time the cab you’re sitting in goes over a pothole. Scared? Annoyed? Angry?
See? The power of suggestion. In this case, not a placebo, but a nocebo effect.
Bottom Line
If the G-Shot proponents want to prove it really works, then they need to run a placebo-controlled clinical trial. It’s easy enough – one group gets the g-shot, another gets an injection of saline into the same spot, and the third group gets an injection of collagen into some other spot in the vagina.
I’m not holding my breath waiting for the trial. Nor should you.
Instead, I’d take that $1850 and spend it on something that will make you feel good about yourself. Maybe a food delivery diet. Maybe a dance class or a new bike. Or that trip to France or night course you’ve been thinking about taking for years.
Because if you’re feeling good about yourself, then feeling turned on isn’t that much of a stretch.
And that’s because your biggest erogenous zone is not the G-spot.
It’s your brain.