by Shrihitha Nookala, Underserved Populations Intern
“I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t even know what it was. But I felt like something had been taken away from me.” Megan was seven when her mother took her “back home,” where “there were people holding me down and I couldn’t get away” (End FGM Canada Network, n.d.).
Female genital mutilation/cutting, or FGM/C, is defined by the United Nations as “any partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury of the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons” (UN Women, 2026). FGM/C is recognized as sexual and gender-based violence because it is done for nonmedical reasons and often happens without full, free, and informed consent.
FGM/C has many forms. Megan later learned that she had experienced Type 1 FGM/C, which is the partial or total removal of the clitoris; Type 2 involves removal of the clitoris and labia; Type 3, or infibulation, involves sewing the labia together to make the vaginal opening smaller; and Type 4 includes other harm, such as pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping, or cauterization (UN Women, 2026).
Megan’s story also shows how FGM/C can happen through misinformation, tradition, and social pressure. She explained, “My family knew about the more severe types and they wouldn’t have done that. But they thought Type 1 was for hygiene and that you needed to be cut to be marriageable.” This shows FGM/C can happen through misinformation, tradition, and social pressure (End FGM Canada Network, n.d.).
FGM/C can be connected to beliefs about hygiene, marriageability, sexuality, or adulthood. It is practiced in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia (UN Women, 2026). In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 513,000 people have been affected by FGM/C or may be at risk (CDC, 2024). The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that 4.5 million girls are at risk globally (UNFPA, 2026).
FGM/C has no health benefits, and no major religious text requires it. It causes lasting harm and violates bodily autonomy (UN Women, 2026).
Family and community pressure can also continue across generations. For Maryan, these expectations of FGM/C did not end with her. She explained, “When I had my daughter, I was determined that she would not be cut. But the pressure on girls is enormous. Relatives told her she was beautiful but if she wasn’t cut, she would be ugly.” Even though Maryan protected her daughter from being cut, she could not fully protect her from the shame around FGM/C. As she put it, “I could save my nine-year-old from mutilation in my native Kenya, but not from the shaming” (End FGM Canada Network, n.d.).
Maryan’s story is also a reminder that many people from affected communities do not support FGM/C and are working to end it. We should not stereotype these communities or assume everyone from an affected community supports the practice.
For Lailatou, the harm continued after the cutting. She shared that “all my life, I have suffered because of what happened to me,” explaining that her mental health challenges ranged from “anxiety and anger to depression,” along with nightmares and panic attacks (End FGM Canada Network, n.d.).
FGM/C can affect both the body and mind. Physically, it can cause severe pain, bleeding, infection, urinary issues, chronic pain, sexual pain, pregnancy or childbirth complications, and later medical procedures (UNFPA, 2026). Emotionally, it can lead to anxiety, depression, PTSD, shame, grief, anger, or feeling disconnected from one’s body.
These experiences can also make it harder for survivors to feel safe asking for help, especially when FGM/C was treated as normal or necessary in their family or community. Some may not identify their experience as abuse, especially if FGM/C was presented as normal when they were young. Others may know they were harmed, but feel it is too private or painful to discuss.
In a survivor listening session, one participant shared, “Doctors thought I was lying because I didn’t fit their idea of an FGM survivor.” Another person said it was difficult to find “doctors who understand what FGM is” (U.S. End FGM/C Network, 2025).
Fear of judgment can make seeking help harder. One participant explained, “The fear of stigmatization and discrimination makes it hard for us to go find and look for help” (U.S. End FGM/C Network, 2025). Survivors should feel safe, respected, and in control. No one should have to defend their culture, retell their trauma, or fight to be believed in order to receive care.
These survivor experiences show that FGM/C does not just end with the act itself. For those who experience it, the harm can continue through chronic pain, mental health struggles, shame, silence, and difficulty seeking help. Ending FGM/C requires education, prevention, community-led change, and services that treat survivors with dignity.
If you have experienced FGM/C, you do not have to figure out next steps alone. You can choose when, how, and if you want to share your experience.
If you believe you may be at risk of FGM/C, you can contact the FGM/C Survivor Support Line, a trusted healthcare provider, or law enforcement to talk through safety planning and next steps. If you believe a child may be at risk, you can contact local child protective services or law enforcement. In Maryland, suspected child abuse or neglect can also be reported to 1-800-91-PREVENT. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
The FGM/C Survivor Support Line through the Asian Women’s Shelter offers support and safety planning assistance for survivors and individuals from communities in which FGM/C is practiced at 1-877-751-0880. The Women and FGM/C Toolkit from George Washington University has information on health, healing, and how to talk with a healthcare provider about FGM/C. Immigrant survivors in Maryland can also contact Tahirih Justice Center’s Baltimore office, which provides support around FGM/C and other forms of gender-based violence. You can visit the U.S. End FGM/C Network’s resource page to learn more about FGM/C-specific support and prevention as well.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, May 15). Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Retrieved here.
End FGM Canada Network. (n.d.). Survivor stories. Retrieved here.
UN Women. (2026, February 6). FAQs on female genital mutilation (FGM): Causes, impact, and how to end it. Retrieved here.
United Nations Population Fund. (2026, February 5). Female genital mutilation (FGM) frequently asked questions. Retrieved here.
U.S. End FGM/C Network. (2025). Empowered narratives: Reflections from survivor listening sessions. Retrieved here.
