New Guide Helps Professionals Support FGM Survivors' Sexual Well-Being
Sexologist Camilla Palm has created a guide for teachers, healthcare and social workers to address sexual health issues faced by women who have undergone female genital mutilation.
Camilla Palm, a sexologist and researcher at Malmö universitet, has produced a resource aimed at school staff, medical personnel and social workers who encounter female genital mutilation (FGM) cases. The material addresses common concerns, including questions about appearance, the impact of the procedure, and pathways to recovery. It outlines physical complications like reduced or heightened sensitivity, temperature perception changes, scarring pain, cyst formation, and intense pain during sex for those who have undergone the most invasive forms.
Palm stresses that sexual health education can greatly aid survivors, suggesting exercises that gradually desensitise the vulva and vagina, as well as thorough examinations by gynecologists or midwives to clarify the type of cutting and healing status. The guide seeks to fill a gap in support tools and encourage informed, compassionate conversations about sexuality after FGM.
Why it matters
Providing tailored support can improve sexual health and quality of life for women affected by FGM.
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