Kenyan women spend big to reclaim sexual pleasure after FGM

The procedures, known as clitoral reconstruction, represent both a significant financial burden and an act of personal reclamation for survivors seeking to restore sexual function lost to a practice that still affects 15 percent of Kenyan women aged 15-49, according to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.

Dr. Adan Abdullahi, a consultant plastic surgeon at Platinum Surgery Centre in Nairobi, has performed more than 350 of these procedures. He estimates costs range from 150,000 to 180,000 shillings, though complex cases requiring general anesthesia can reach 300,000 shillings.

“Not every surgeon can do this surgery. It’s complicated and every patient is different,” Abdullahi said.

Silent Recovery, Hidden Journeys

Women seeking these procedures often do so in secrecy, unable to discuss their decisions with mothers or older relatives who still view FGM as a cultural rite of passage. Many underwent the cutting as children, viewing it as a celebration of womanhood.

The realization of what was lost often comes later, through conversations with peers or painful experiences in intimate relationships. Women describe years of painful intercourse and absent sensation.

Recovery typically takes several weeks, with most women resuming daily activities within a month. Patients report varying improvement, with many experiencing increased sensitivity and more fulfilling intimate experiences for the first time.

Medical Innovation Meets Cultural Resistance

The surgical technique, pioneered by French surgeon Dr. Pierre Foldès, involves uncovering and reconstructing clitoral tissue buried beneath scar tissue. A 2012 study in The Lancet found 61 percent of women experienced improved sexual pleasure and 81 percent reported reduced pain afterward.

Kenya hosted its first FGM Reconstructive Surgery Training Workshop in 2023. International surgeons like Dr. Marci Bowers from California have traveled to Nairobi multiple times to perform surgeries and train local doctors. Yet access remains limited compared to European countries, where procedures are often covered by public health insurance.

Some patients also opt for platelet-rich plasma injections, which can cost an additional 40,000 to 120,000 shillings.

Between Progress and Tradition

Kenya has made significant strides in reducing FGM prevalence, from 32 percent in 2003 to 15 percent in 2022. The Prohibition of FGM Act of 2011 made the practice illegal, and advocacy organizations project rates could fall to 10 percent by 2030.

However, in indigenous communities like the Maasai, Samburu and Pokot, prevalence soars above 78 percent in counties such as Marsabit and Mandera. Cultural resistance remains strong in traditional communities.

For the women quietly seeking restoration surgery across Kenya, the procedures represent more than medical intervention. They’re reclaiming autonomy over bodies altered without consent, often before they understood what was being taken.

Abdullahi said patients often experience improved self-esteem “and a sense of completeness” after surgery. But the financial barrier means most survivors cannot access the procedure, and cultural stigma ensures those who do rarely speak publicly.

The conversation remains largely confined to private medical offices and discreet online forums — a silence that speaks to how far Kenya has come, and how far it still has to go.