Female genital mutilation or cutting
Female genital mutilation or cutting (PDF, 195 KB)
Female genital mutilation or cutting (PDF, 195 KB)
Enter a city, ZIP code (such as 20002), address, state, or place
To receive Publications email updates
Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) means piercing, cutting, removing, or sewing closed all or part of a girl's or woman's external genitals for no medical reason. Researchers estimate more than 513,000 girls and women in the U.S. have experienced or are at risk of FGM/C.1 Worldwide, as many as 140 million girls and women alive today have been cut.2 FGM/C is often a part of the culture in countries where it is practiced. But FGM/C has no health benefits and can cause long-term health problems. FGM/C is against the law in the U.S. and many other countries.
This fact sheet has been updated to include the most current and commonly used terms for female genital cutting (FGC). We are updating the title of this fact sheet and the way we refer to FGC by using the term female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C). FGM/C encompasses any procedure involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM/C is the term used by the departments and agencies in the federal government as part of their response to this harmful practice.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) define FGM/C as "any partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury of the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons." The United States also uses this definition in its efforts to end the practice.
FGM/C is sometimes called "female circumcision." FGM/C is not the same as male circumcision.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes four major types of FGM/C. Types 1 and 2 are the most common, but all types may be harmful.
The four types of FGM/C are:3
FGM/C is done mostly in parts of northern and central Africa, in the southern Sahara, and in parts of the Middle East and Asia. See the map of countries where FGM/C is practiced most often (PDF, 22.7 MB).
Some immigrants in the United States and Western Europe from these countries also practice FGM/C, or may send their daughters back to their family homeland for FGM/C. Other immigrant families stop practicing FGM/C once they are in a new country.
Different communities and cultures have different reasons for practicing FGM/C; the reasons are often complex and can change over time.4 Social acceptability is the most common reason. Families often feel pressure to have their daughter cut so she is accepted by their community. Other reasons may include:
Girls and women who live in the countries where FGM/C is practiced most often (PDF, 22.7 MB) have the highest risk. In some countries, only a small number of girls and women are cut. In other countries, nearly all girls and women are cut.2
The specific community or part of the country a girl or woman lives in can increase or decrease her risk of certain types of FGM/C. For example, different ethnic groups may perform different types of FGM/C. Also, how much wealth, education, and the type of education a girl's parents receive may influence their choice to have a daughter cut. Lastly, whether a community is urban or rural can affect the practice of FGM/C.
The age when girls are cut varies from country to country and even within communities.
An estimated 100 to 140 million women alive today have undergone FGM/C. Three million girls and women may be at risk of FGM/C each year.2 The percentage of women who have been cut is very different from country to country. In Indonesia, 86% to 100% of girls and women have been cut.6 In Guinea and Somalia, more than 95% of girls and women have been cut. In Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, and Sierra Leone, it is near 90%. However, in Cameroon and Uganda, less than 2% of girls and women have been cut.
In the United States, available estimates suggest that more than 513,000 girls and women have experienced FGM/C or are at risk of FGM/C.1
FGM/C can cause immediate and long-term medical problems. How bad these problems are depends on:7
The type of FGM/C done may affect how much and how serious health problems are after FGM/C. Type 3 causes more health problems than type 1 or type 2.
Immediate medical problems can include:7
FGM/C can cause long-term problems with a girl's or woman's physical, mental, and sexual health. The type of FGM/C done may affect how much and how serious the health problems are. Type 2 and type 3 cause more serious health problems than type 1.
Long-term health problems include:9
Girls and women who come to the United States and have already been cut may face additional health problems. Doctors and other health care providers may not know how to adequately treat the girls' and women's unique health needs. In some cases, health care providers lack training on counseling and caring for girls and women who have been cut.9
FGM/C does not usually cause problems for a woman during pregnancy, but women who have been cut face unique health risks during childbirth. These include:9
Risks to the infant include low birth weight (smaller than 5½ pounds at birth), breathing problems at birth, and stillbirth or early death.16,17
FGM/C is against the law in the United States. The United States and many other countries consider FGM/C a violation of women's rights and a form of child abuse. Federal law makes it a crime to perform FGM/C on a girl younger than 18 or to take or attempt to take a girl out of the United States for FGM/C. Girls and women who have experienced FGM/C are not at fault and have not broken any U.S. laws.
The United States considers FGM/C to be a serious human rights abuse and a form of gender-based violence and child abuse.18 Many girls have FGM/C forced on them and have no choice about whether it happens. It is painful and offers no health benefits. And FGM/C often causes long-term physical and mental health problems. For these reasons, the U.S. government works with other governments and organizations to help end the practice.
Governments and groups in the United States and around the world are working together to end the practice of FGM/C. Some approaches include:
Recent research shows that these efforts may be working. In some regions, education is changing attitudes and influencing a family's choice to have FGM/C performed. For example, in Egypt, 96% of women 45 to 49 years old were cut, but the percentage dropped to 81% among women 15 to 19 years old.2
If you think a girl is at risk of FGM/C, contact your state's child protective services agency.
You may also contact the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Department of Justice at 1-800-813-5863 or hrsptips@usdoj.gov or the Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Unit of the Department of Homeland Security at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov.
Girls and women in the United States who have already been cut need access to clinically and culturally appropriate care from trained health care providers.
For more information about FGM/C, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:
Phone Number: 917-637-3600
Phone Number: 212-686-5522
Phone Number: 011-41-791-2111
Female genital mutilation or cutting (PDF, 195 KB)
Enter a city, ZIP code (such as 20002), address, state, or place
To receive Publications email updates
The Office on Women's Health is grateful for the medical review in 2015 by:
Cailin Crockett, M.Phil., Special Assistant for Gender Policy & Elder Rights, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging, Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Wanda K. Jones, Dr.P.H., Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Crista Johnson-Agbakwu, M.D., MSc, FACOG, IF, Founder & Director, Refugee Women's Health Clinic, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Maricopa Integrated Health System; Research Assistant Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Arizona College of Medicine — Phoenix; Assistant Research Professor, School of Social Work, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center (SIRC), College of Public Programs, Arizona State University
Bettina Shell-Duncan, Ph.D., M.S., Professor, Department of Anthropology and Adjunct Professor of Global Health, University of Washington
Nicole Warren, Ph.D., M.P.H., C.N.M., Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, and Certified Nurse Midwife, Johns Hopkins Hospital
All material contained on these pages are free of copyright restrictions and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated.
Page last updated: April 01, 2019.
Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) means piercing, cutting, removing, or sewing closed all or part of a girl's or woman's external genitals for no medical reason. Researchers estimate more than 513,000 girls and women in the U.S. have experienced or are at risk of FGM/C.1 Worldwide, as many as 140 million girls and women alive today have been cut.2 FGM/C is often a part of the culture in countries where it is practiced. But FGM/C has no health benefits and can cause long-term health problems. FGM/C is against the law in the U.S. and many other countries.
This fact sheet has been updated to include the most current and commonly used terms for female genital cutting (FGC). We are updating the title of this fact sheet and the way we refer to FGC by using the term female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C). FGM/C encompasses any procedure involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM/C is the term used by the departments and agencies in the federal government as part of their response to this harmful practice.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN) define FGM/C as "any partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other injury of the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons." The United States also uses this definition in its efforts to end the practice.
FGM/C is sometimes called "female circumcision." FGM/C is not the same as male circumcision.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes four major types of FGM/C. Types 1 and 2 are the most common, but all types may be harmful.
The four types of FGM/C are:3
FGM/C is done mostly in parts of northern and central Africa, in the southern Sahara, and in parts of the Middle East and Asia. See the map of countries where FGM/C is practiced most often (PDF, 22.7 MB).
Some immigrants in the United States and Western Europe from these countries also practice FGM/C, or may send their daughters back to their family homeland for FGM/C. Other immigrant families stop practicing FGM/C once they are in a new country.
Different communities and cultures have different reasons for practicing FGM/C; the reasons are often complex and can change over time.4 Social acceptability is the most common reason. Families often feel pressure to have their daughter cut so she is accepted by their community. Other reasons may include:
Girls and women who live in the countries where FGM/C is practiced most often (PDF, 22.7 MB) have the highest risk. In some countries, only a small number of girls and women are cut. In other countries, nearly all girls and women are cut.2
The specific community or part of the country a girl or woman lives in can increase or decrease her risk of certain types of FGM/C. For example, different ethnic groups may perform different types of FGM/C. Also, how much wealth, education, and the type of education a girl's parents receive may influence their choice to have a daughter cut. Lastly, whether a community is urban or rural can affect the practice of FGM/C.
The age when girls are cut varies from country to country and even within communities.
An estimated 100 to 140 million women alive today have undergone FGM/C. Three million girls and women may be at risk of FGM/C each year.2 The percentage of women who have been cut is very different from country to country. In Indonesia, 86% to 100% of girls and women have been cut.6 In Guinea and Somalia, more than 95% of girls and women have been cut. In Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, and Sierra Leone, it is near 90%. However, in Cameroon and Uganda, less than 2% of girls and women have been cut.
In the United States, available estimates suggest that more than 513,000 girls and women have experienced FGM/C or are at risk of FGM/C.1
FGM/C can cause immediate and long-term medical problems. How bad these problems are depends on:7
The type of FGM/C done may affect how much and how serious health problems are after FGM/C. Type 3 causes more health problems than type 1 or type 2.
Immediate medical problems can include:7
FGM/C can cause long-term problems with a girl's or woman's physical, mental, and sexual health. The type of FGM/C done may affect how much and how serious the health problems are. Type 2 and type 3 cause more serious health problems than type 1.
Long-term health problems include:9
Girls and women who come to the United States and have already been cut may face additional health problems. Doctors and other health care providers may not know how to adequately treat the girls' and women's unique health needs. In some cases, health care providers lack training on counseling and caring for girls and women who have been cut.9
FGM/C does not usually cause problems for a woman during pregnancy, but women who have been cut face unique health risks during childbirth. These include:9
Risks to the infant include low birth weight (smaller than 5½ pounds at birth), breathing problems at birth, and stillbirth or early death.16,17
FGM/C is against the law in the United States. The United States and many other countries consider FGM/C a violation of women's rights and a form of child abuse. Federal law makes it a crime to perform FGM/C on a girl younger than 18 or to take or attempt to take a girl out of the United States for FGM/C. Girls and women who have experienced FGM/C are not at fault and have not broken any U.S. laws.
The United States considers FGM/C to be a serious human rights abuse and a form of gender-based violence and child abuse.18 Many girls have FGM/C forced on them and have no choice about whether it happens. It is painful and offers no health benefits. And FGM/C often causes long-term physical and mental health problems. For these reasons, the U.S. government works with other governments and organizations to help end the practice.
Governments and groups in the United States and around the world are working together to end the practice of FGM/C. Some approaches include:
Recent research shows that these efforts may be working. In some regions, education is changing attitudes and influencing a family's choice to have FGM/C performed. For example, in Egypt, 96% of women 45 to 49 years old were cut, but the percentage dropped to 81% among women 15 to 19 years old.2
If you think a girl is at risk of FGM/C, contact your state's child protective services agency.
You may also contact the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Department of Justice at 1-800-813-5863 or hrsptips@usdoj.gov or the Human Rights Violator and War Crimes Unit of the Department of Homeland Security at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or HRV.ICE@ice.dhs.gov.
Girls and women in the United States who have already been cut need access to clinically and culturally appropriate care from trained health care providers.
For more information about FGM/C, call the OWH Helpline at 1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:
Phone Number: 917-637-3600
Phone Number: 212-686-5522
Phone Number: 011-41-791-2111
This content is provided by the Office on Women's Health.
A federal government website managed by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
200 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20201
1-800-994-9662 • Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET (closed on federal holidays).