Had an interesting conversation with my husband about FGM

The procedure is performed differently depending on the country and region where it takes place. FGM is mostly done in parts of northern and central Africa, the southern Sahara, and in some parts of Asia and the Middle East, per the Office on Women's Health.

Here are the different types of FGM, per the WHO:

Type 1: This is the partial or total removal of the external part of the clitoris and/or the clitoral hood.
Type 2: This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora (the inner folds of the vulva), with or without removal of the labia majora (the outer folds of skin of the vulva).
Type 3: This is the narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal that’s formed by cutting and repositioning the labia minora, or labia majora, sometimes through stitching, with or without removal of the clitoral hood and glans.
Type 4: This includes all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, like pricking, piercing, incising, scraping, and cauterizing the genital area.

There are immediate and long-term effects that can come from undergoing FGM.

Immediate side effects, per the WHO, include:

severe pain
excessive bleeding
genital tissue swelling
fever
infections
urinary problems
wound healing problems
injury to surrounding genital tissue
shock
death

Long-term complications may include:

urinary problems
vaginal problems
menstrual problems
scar tissue and keloid
sexual problems
increased risk of childbirth complications
need for later surgeries (like needing to have a stitched vagina opened after marriage so a woman can have sex)
psychological effects

Deinfibulation refers to the practice of cutting open the sealed vaginal opening of a woman who has been infibulated, which is often necessary for improving health and well-being as well as to allow intercourse or to facilitate childbirth.