What is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)?
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. FGM is often performed on girls between the ages of 4 and 14 to ensure their virginity until marriage.
The World Health Organization reports that FGM has no health benefits and can cause serious and often lifelong physical and psychological health problems.
Immediately following the procedure, girls are at risk of severe pain, shock, bleeding, bacterial infection, and injury to nearby tissue. In the long term, women and girls are at risk of recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, cysts, infertility, and complications during intercourse and childbirth. Depression, anxiety, PTSD and other psychological issues often follow the trauma of the procedure.
Immediately following the procedure, girls are at risk of severe pain, shock, bleeding, bacterial infection, and injury to nearby tissue. In the long term, women and girls are at risk of recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, cysts, infertility, and complications during intercourse and childbirth. Depression, anxiety, PTSD and other psychological issues often follow the trauma of the procedure.
..FGM is a Reality in the U.S.
.....FGM is illegal in the United States but it still takes place
The number of girls under 18 at risk of FGM in the U.S. has quadrupled since 1997.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 513,000 women and girls are at risk or have already undergone FGM in the U.S.
In 2017, the FBI arrested a doctor in Michigan for allegedly cutting up to 100 girls.
Over 38,000 women and girls who are at risk of FGM live in the remaining 11 states (+ the District of Columbia) that do not have state legislation against the practice.
What is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)?
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is any procedure involving the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs. FGM is often performed on girls between the ages of 4 and 14 to ensure their virginity until marriage.
The World Health Organization reports that FGM has no health benefits and can cause serious and often lifelong physical and psychological health problems.
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Immediately following the procedure, girls are at risk of severe pain, shock, bleeding, bacterial infection, and injury to nearby tissue. In the long term, women and girls are at risk of recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, cysts, infertility, and complications during intercourse and childbirth. Depression, anxiety, PTSD and other psychological issues often follow the trauma of the procedure.
.FGM is a Reality in the U.S.
FGM is illegal in the United States but it still takes place
The number of girls under 18 at risk of FGM in the U.S. has quadrupled since 1997.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 513,000 women and girls are at risk or have already undergone FGM in the U.S.
In 2017, the FBI arrested a doctor in Michigan for allegedly cutting up to 100 girls.
Over 38,000 women and girls who are at risk of FGM live in the remaining 11 states (+ the District of Columbia) that do not have state legislation against the practice.
Read our report on Why we hesitate to protect girls from FGM in the U.S.
Stories from Survivors and Advocates
October 6, 2021
For a girl who has been surrounded her whole life by family and friends who shame and threaten her, AHA Foundation case managers working at our Helpline can be the first to offer support. These case managers’ impact on the lives of at-risk girls is immeasurable, and few know this better than Egypt Leithman.
May 25, 2021
In most of the states where AHA Foundation works, we see unanimous support for outlawing female genital mutilation […]
March 24, 2021
03/24/2021 Discussing female genital mutilation (FGM) and seeing visuals that depict the practice can be uncomfortable for many […]
April 21, 2020
Earlier this month, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, legislators in Kentucky passed a comprehensive ban against female genital mutilation […]
April 13, 2020
Kentucky recently became the 38th state to pass comprehensive legislation against female genital mutilation (FGM)! More than 1,845 […]
November 18, 2019
Joanna Vergoth Helps Survivors Deal With the Psychological Consequences of Female Genital Mutilation
Joanna Vergoth is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in trauma. For the last 20 years she has dedicated herself […]
October 10, 2019
I am a white, Christian woman who was born and raised in the United States. When I was […]
April 29, 2019
Dr. Deborah Ottenheimer is one of the few doctors in the U.S. who specialize in care to survivors […]
April 25, 2018
Every month, dozens of people reach out to AHA Foundation for help. They are people who have survived […]
March 28, 2018
A group of talented and determined students from Penn State’s Dickinson Law have taken up the challenge of […]
March 27, 2018
** Please note the photo above is a stock photo and not a photo of the survivor. It […]
February 20, 2018
AHA Foundation: Alexandra Still is our Program and Policy Associate. Alex researches cultural practices that harm women and girls in […]
February 20, 2018
Grace Roebuck is a sophomore at Vassar College studying Psychology and is a Critical Thinking Fellowship (CTF) Fellow, […]
December 12, 2017
Dr. Faith Mwangi-Powell, MSc, Ph.D., is the Global Director for The Girl Generation, a ten-country social change communication […]
November 22, 2017
F.A. Cole is an award-winning author, speaker, and anti-FGM activist. At 11 years old, she was forced to […]
November 21, 2017
Elisabeth Ubbe is an award-winning photojournalist who strives to highlight issues that are taboo to create conversation and […]
August 23, 2017
It is the recovery room in a hospital in Egypt. The girl is six or seven years old. […]
July 19, 2017
Psychotherapist, Joanna Vergoth, has advocated against FGM for over 15 years. The AHA Foundation had the pleasure to […]
July 19, 2017
Dr. Mohammed Arsiwala is a board certified internist who practices urgent care medicine in Southeast Michigan. He is […]
April 28, 2017
Originally published by Fox News: 28 April, 2017 The recent news that a grand jury in Michigan has […]