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.
More than 110,000 girls are at risk of FGM and live in the remaining 24 states 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.
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.
More than 110,000 girls are at risk of FGM and live in the remaining 24 states 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
April 25, 2018
Published by The AHA Foundation at April 25, 2018
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March 28, 2018
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March 27, 2018
Published by The AHA Foundation at March 27, 2018
** Please note the photo above is a stock photo and not a photo of the survivor. It […]
February 20, 2018
Published by The AHA Foundation at 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
Published by The AHA Foundation at February 20, 2018
Grace Roebuck is a sophomore at Vassar College studying Psychology and is a Critical Thinking Unit (CTU) Fellow, […]
December 12, 2017
Published by The AHA Foundation at 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
Published by The AHA Foundation at 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
Published by The AHA Foundation at 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
Published by The AHA Foundation at August 23, 2017
It is the recovery room in a hospital in Egypt. The girl is six or seven years old. […]
July 19, 2017
Published by The AHA Foundation at July 19, 2017
Psychotherapist, Joanna Vergoth, has advocated against FGM for over 15 years. The AHA Foundation had the pleasure to […]
July 19, 2017
Published by The AHA Foundation at July 19, 2017
Dr. Mohammed Arsiwala is a board certified internist who practices urgent care medicine in Southeast Michigan. He is […]
April 28, 2017
Published by The AHA Foundation at April 28, 2017
Categories
Originally published by Fox News: 28 April, 2017 The recent news that a grand jury in Michigan has […]
December 13, 2016
Published by The AHA Foundation at December 13, 2016
Since she was only 13 years old, FGM survivor Khadija Gbla has been an outspoken advocate working to […]
July 20, 2016
Published by The AHA Foundation at July 20, 2016
Hilary Burrage, British sociologist and author, on the fight against FGM: We must never, for one moment, be […]
June 16, 2015
Published by The AHA Foundation at June 16, 2015
Ayaan When Ayaan Hirsi Ali, founder of the AHA Foundation, underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) in her native […]
