TITLE:
Sexual Function and Self-Genital Image after Clitoral Restorative Surgery in Women Who Underwent Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya
AUTHORS:
Hawa Hassan, Joe Wanyoike Gichuhi, Zahida Qureshi, Abdullahi Adan, Rukia Gang’ombe
KEYWORDS:
Genital Mutilation, Clitoplasty, Genital Self-Image
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.16 No.7,
July
28,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Clitoral restoration surgery also known as clitoroplasty, is a procedure aimed at re-exposing the clitoral remnant with or without defibulation to restore function for females who have undergone genital mutilation. The procedure remains controversial because of paucity of data for studies using validated outcome measures to document the efficacy and safety of clitoral restorative surgery. Objective: To assess sexual function and self-genital image after clitoral restorative surgery in women who had previously undergone female genital mutilation/cut. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: The Platinum surgery center in Nairobi, Kenya. Subjects/Participants: Ninety-six patients who underwent clitoral restorative surgery following female genital mutilation. Results: Majority of the study participants were aged below 35 years (54.5%), had college education (68.0%), married (53.3%), Christian (81.3%) and hailed from the Meru ethnic group (22.9%). Most study subjects had FGM/C type II (55.8%). A big proportion of the study participants were satisfied with their self-genital image (52.1%). The commonest indications for clitoral restorative surgery were low self-esteem (89.6%), failure to achieve orgasm (47.9%) followed by lack of self-identity (39.6%). The prevalence of Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) was 70.7% with majority of the women reporting moderate sexual desire (46.3%), poor arousal (46.3), inadequate lubrication (39%), lack of orgasm (39%), deficient satisfaction (51.2%) and moderate to high pain perception (36.6%) after clitoral restorative surgery. Conclusion: Clitoral reconstructive surgery enhances genital self-image but does not necessarily improve sexual function of women with FGM/C.