ABSTRACT
Clitoral reconstructive surgery was introduced in Sweden in 2014. It aims at restoring both the function and anatomy of the clitoris. While the success of this intervention is at present largely under-researched, existing work suggests that the motives and expectations of clitoral reconstruction (CR) go beyond the associated physical/sexual needs. This chapter is based on interviews conducted in 2015 with 17 women asking for CR in Sweden. It analyses the complexities involved in their articulated desire for surgery. These complexities are related to, among other things, a desire for social integration, for the symbolic restoration of the body, as well as the enhancement of sexual capacity on a bodily, mental and emotional level. The women hope that the surgery will, at least partly, fulfil these needs and desires.
