Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42752680›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Sexual dysfunction after female genital mutilation/cutting: A retrospective cross-sectional study of associations with organ-specific genital anatomy, trauma history, and psychiatric comorbidity.

Emily Lock, Veronica Ades

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Emily LockDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0254-8180
Veronica AdesDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9163-7511

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sexual dysfunction after female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is poorly characterized, limiting targeted clinical intervention. In a concentrated FGM/C referral population, we aimed to characterize patterns of sexual dysfunction and evaluate associations with organ-specific genital anatomy, trauma history, and psychiatric comorbidities among women with FGM/C. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of adults with FGM/C evaluated between 2014 and 2025 in an obstetrics and gynecology clinic specializing in sexual trauma. Using standardized abstraction tools, we obtained sexual symptoms, genital examination findings, demographics, and trauma-related and psychiatric variables from the electronic medical record. Associations between these variables and three primary outcomes (loss of libido, loss of sexual pleasure, dyspareunia) were assessed using univariate logistic regression. A composite arousal-pleasure dysfunction outcome was evaluated in secondary analyses adjusted for age and organ-specific genital anatomy. Among 135 women with FGM/C, approximately two-thirds reported sexual dysfunction, most commonly dyspareunia (45.9%), loss of sexual pleasure (28.9%), and loss of libido (25.9%). Absence or attenuation of the clitoris, labia minora, or labia majora was not associated with these outcomes. In contrast, depression (odds ratio [OR] 2.80), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (OR 3.86), and intact memory of the FGM/C event (OR 2.82) were associated with loss of libido. Depression was also associated with loss of sexual pleasure (OR 4.67). After adjustment for age and genital anatomy, depression (adjusted OR 3.87) and PTSD (adjusted OR 3.67) remained associated with composite arousal-pleasure dysfunction. In this well-documented cohort with FGM/C, sexual dysfunction was more closely associated with trauma-related and psychiatric factors than with genital tissue loss. These findings support prioritizing mental health and trauma-focused interventions for sexual health after FGM/C and underscore the need for prospective multicenter studies.

Indexed as

Circumcision, FemaleGenitalia, FemaleSexual Dysfunction, PhysiologicalSexual Dysfunctions, PsychologicalAdultComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesDyspareuniaFemaleHumansMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID42752680
PMCPMC13585219

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.