Breaking a Taboo: Talking About Female Genital Cutting in Northern Sudan

Female genital cutting, or FGC, is the practice of surgically removing part or all of a girl’s or woman’s external genitalia. It has a number of negative physical and psychological effects, and in the worst cases can lead to death through severe bleeding. MSF arrived in the Tagadom area of Red Sea State in 2006 to raise awareness about the medical effects of FGC and to offer high-quality, free-of-charge maternity services. First, however, the teams had to begin a very difficult, and ultimately very rewarding process of talking about these and other taboo subjects.

View external media