The health impacts of female genital cutting are wide ranging and can be very extreme.
Some girls die at the time of the cut, from haemorrhaging, or may experience shock, and open sores which take a long time to heal. Other girls die a few weeks later from tetanus. Keloid scarring can affect any cut girl, as may painful sex and bladder infections.
Girls who are infibulated may have trouble urinating for the rest of their lives and may experience cysts. When they start their periods, menstrual blood may struggle to escape from the small hole. Some girls may get internal infections from this and die.
Infibulated women have a plug of hard, keloid scar tissue where the soft opening to their vagina should be. When it comes to a wedding night, a girl’s husband may have to force his way inside with his penis, but more often, a woman is cut open in advance, sometimes with a knife. The scar tissue is opened only wide enough for penetrative sex to occur.
Before or during labour, a pregnant girl or woman will be cut open even more. However, many women who have gone through FGC experience fistula or other birth complications because of the impact of infibulation on their elasticity.
It can contribute to maternal mortality, as well as death of the baby during or immediately following birth.
Read more about the negative health impacts of female genital cutting.
