Poissy, France — For most women who have suffered genital mutilation, reconstructive surgery is associated with improvements or no worsening of pain, as well as restoration of pleasure, according to a recent study.
Researchers led by Pierre Foldès, M.D., of Poissy-St Germain Hospital, assessed the immediate and long-term surgical outcomes for 2,938 women, ages 18 and older with genital mutilation, enrolled between 1998 and 2009, HealthDay News reports.
Patients completed a questionnaire covering characteristics, expectations and preoperative clitoral pain and pleasure. The women’s preoperative expectations included identity recovery (99 percent), improved sex life (81 percent) and pain reduction (29 percent).
At one-year follow-up, 866 women (29 percent) were questioned about clitoral pain and functionality. Of 840 patients, 821 reported an improvement or no worsening of pain, 815 of 834 reported clitoral pleasure, and 430 of 841 reported experiencing orgasms. Five percent said they experienced immediate complications following surgery and 4 percent were readmitted to the hospital briefly.
“Clitoral reconstruction after female genital mutilation is feasible,” the authors wrote. “It can improve women’s pleasure and lessen their pain (and) allows mutilated women to recover their identity.”
The study was published online in The Lancet.
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