Lost Intimacy: The Sexual and Psychological Toll of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on Women’s Bodies and Minds

Female Genital Mutilation, often known as FGM, involves the partial or full removal of external female genital organs for non-medical reasons.  According to WHO, it is practiced in many parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East—and affects more than 230 million women and girls alive today.

While rooted in cultural tradition, beliefs about purity, chastity, marriageability and social conformity drive FGM’s persistence. This practice not only violates physical integrity but also profoundly impacts women’s sexual health and mental wellness. Understanding how FGM affects desire, intimacy, self-worth, and emotional stability is critical for healing and advocacy.

What FGM Is and Why It Happens

FGM encompasses procedures such as clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation. Communities may practice FGM for reasons such as:

• Cultural initiation into womanhood or readiness for marriage.
• Ensuring perceived virginity or reducing sexual desire in women.
• Preserving social status and avoiding stigma or rejection.
• Belief in hygiene, fertility or religious duty—even though medical benefits do not exist.

These motivations often overshadow the devastating physical and emotional costs of the procedure.

The Immediate and Long-Term Risks of FGM

FGM carries serious short- and long-term health consequences. According to the World Health Organization (WHO):

Short-term risks: severe pain, hemorrhage, shock, infection, urinary complications.

Long-term risks: scar tissue, cysts, obstructed menstruation, chronic pain, childbirth complications, sexually transmitted infections.

Additionally, women who have undergone FGM are almost three times more likely to suffer anxiety or depression, and 4.4 times more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

These health burdens extend far beyond the procedure, touching sexual, reproductive and psychological well-being.

Sexual Function: What FGM Often Destroys

One of the most painful and under-discussed consequences of FGM is the impact on sexual function. Damage to sensitive genital tissues, nerve endings and anatomical structures directly undermines sexual health and intimacy.

Studies show:

• Women with FGM may experience a five-fold decrease in sexual desire and a four-fold reduction in sexual satisfaction.
• Pain during intercourse (dyspareunia), reduced lubrication, difficulty achieving orgasm and general sexual dysfunction are common.
• Partners of mutilated women also report lower satisfaction and relationship strain.

These physical and relational impacts deeply affect self-esteem, connection and the experience of intimacy.

Related effects on mental health include:

• Loss of sexual confidence due to chronic pain or inability to enjoy sex.
• Avoidance of intimate relationships or fear of exposure and rejection.
• Emotional detachment or numbness as a protective response.
• Shame, guilt and stigma are tied to sexual dysfunction or inability to fulfil cultural expectations.

The Psychological Scars: Trauma, Self-Worth and Emotional Health

FGM is not simply a medical issue—it is a profound psychological trauma. The practice often involves childhood harm, betrayal by caregivers, secrecy and silence. This experience can activate post-traumatic responses that linger for years.

Key mental health implications:

• PTSD and anxiety: Elevated cortisol levels and trauma symptoms are more common among women who underwent extensive FGM.
• Depression and low self-worth: The sense of violation and lost autonomy often leads to long-term emotional distress.
• Sexual identity disruption: Loss of pleasure or intimacy can cause grief, disconnection and altered body-image.
• Relationship strain: Emotional and sexual dysfunction impacts trust, communication and partnership quality.

Healing from FGM thus involves not only physical repair but emotional recovery—addressing loss, fear, identity and trust.

Moving Forward: Support, Recovery and Advocacy

Although the damage of FGM is grave, survivors can find healing and empowerment through multiple paths:

Medical and reconstructive care: Specialized care may address physical complications or improve sexual function.

Trauma-informed therapy: Psychologists trained in trauma can help survivors process the psychological impact of FGM.

Community and peer support: Safe spaces where women share their stories reduce isolation and shame.

Sexual counselling: Professional help to rebuild intimacy, communication and sexual confidence.

Education and prevention: Advocacy that challenges social norms, empowers girls and engages men is crucial to ending FGM altogether.

No one should live in silence or shame. Recognizing the full scope of FGM’s sexual and psychological toll is vital for global health, human rights and gender-based wellness.

Conclusion

FGM is far more than a cultural tradition—it is a violation of bodily autonomy, sexual health and mental clarity. The tucked-away trauma of lost intimacy, chronic pain and fractured self-esteem demands our attention and action.

Women who have experienced FGM deserve healing that honors their full humanity—body, mind and heart. When sexuality is restored, when compassion replaces shame, and when support replaces silence, recovery becomes possible.

 The body carries the scar, the mind carries the story—let both find healing.