







A detailed story about pregnant African refugees in Minnesota who were genitally mutilated before arriving in the U.S. has raised possible legal implications for obstetricians and mid-wives who first “deinfibulate” or cut open the seal created by the genital mutilation, but then resew the opening closed, or “reinfibulate” the woman after a baby is born.

The question confronting these healthcare providers, is whether they are complicit in violating laws prohibiting all forms of female genital mutilation (FGM) when, for non-medical reasons, they “reinfibulate” in order to accommodate religious or cultural practices or even personal preferences.

FGM or FGM/C the more culturally sensitive term “female genital cutting or circumcision,” is a practice that “comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.” Critics of the term “female circumcision” say this is an effort by multicultural feminists to normalize immigrant cultural practices that are banned in the U.S.

Infibulation typically refers to Type III FGM in women who have had most of the external female genitalia removed and what is left is sewn closed leaving only a small opening.

The American College of Nurse-Midwives considers reinfibulation to be a form of medicalized FGM/C: