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A new study conducted on the quality of sexual life among women who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) supports the argument that without clitoral stimulation a female organism is near impossible. 

 FGM is the partial or complete removal of the outer female genitalia (such as the clitoris or labia) without valid medical reason. The study, which was conducted by researchers at King's College London, looks at the impact of FGM on the sexual quality of life of women who have undergone this procedure and compares them to a similar group of women who have not undergone FGM. 

Researchers used a  carefully constructed and detailed questionnaire given to the participants (who the study notes had similar cultural backgrounds where FGM is frequently practiced and who were over the age of 16) to gauge how females were able to gain, if at all a healthy sexual lifestyle and/or appetite. The first part of the questionnaire asked demographic questions and the second part containing the SQOL-F questionnaire, previously used for measuring sexual quality of life in women with female sexual dysfunction aged over 18 years.Overall the study found that women who have undergone FGM have a significantly lower overall SQOL-F score.

Using the self reported questionnaire, with the highest score being 100, women who had undergone FGM rated their sexual quality of life on average 26.4 points lower than women who had not undergone FGM.

"FGM is abuse of women and we need to do all we can to eradicate the practice. We can help to do this by educating people about the harm that it causes and this study adds to our knowledge as we show, not surprisingly, that FGM has a detrimental effect on a woman's sexual life," says study co-author professor Janice Rymer, Dean of Undergraduate Medicine and Professor of Gynaecology, King's College London.

While having many harmful side-effects such as bleeding, infection and even death, FGM procedures have no known health benefits and is one rooted in cultural superstitions and social-specific concepts of male and female power dynamics.

 The effect of a reduced or poor sexual quality of life is likely to have an effect on the general well being of women. "It is important to raise the profile of the damage that is caused with regards to sexual function in the hope that this may go some way to eradicating the procedure for future generations," Rymer adds.