Madeleine Hubbard is a rising junior at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is a fellow of the Critical Thinking Fellowship (CTF), the AHA Foundation’s Campus Program. The image above is a stock photo.

The idea of purposely cutting a little girl’s genitals to control her sexuality sounds ancient. Female genital mutilation (FGM) happens every day across the world, including the United States. The CDC has estimated that over half a million girls in the U.S. were victims of or at risk of undergoing FGM, a number which has tripled since 1990.

Across the world, over 200 million women are victims of FGM. While the procedure has no health benefits, the risks include infection, PTSD, childbirth complications and even death. FGM is often performed on infants or young girls who are unable to give consent, understand what is happening or realize the procedure’s full effects.

Time to put a spotlight on an important issue – The News-Gazette

Madeleine Hubbard is a rising junior at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is a fellow of the Critical Thinking Fellowship (CTF), the AHA Foundation’s Campus Program. The image above is a stock photo.