Survivor shares truth of life after female genital mutilation as a child

Amani Abdallah, 24, was left unable to have sex or urinate properly after being subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) as a child

A survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM), who nearly lost her life due to infection from being cut with an unclean razor, has transformed her life through a transformative surgery. 24 year old Amani Abdallah suffered excruciating pain following the FGM procedure that she underwent, which included constriction of the vaginal entrance.

Having been raised in Sudan where FGM is widely practised, Amani endured difficulties in urinating and experienced discomfort during intimate moments with her partner. The trauma was so severe that the Sheffield-based mum opted for a caesarean section rather than natural childbirth when having her daughter.

Now a student nurse and mother to one year old Maya, Amani felt compelled to undergo deinfibulation surgery - a procedure to open up the vagina. Post-surgery, she can now use the toilet with ease and engage in sexual activity without suffering pain.

She bravely said: "I have taken my power back."

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Amani said: "It helped me face it. I convinced myself it wasn't my fault. It was out of my control. I have taken my power back. They did that to me and I reopened myself."

Amani recollects the events of the surgery at around six or seven years old. She remembers being lavished with sweets and attention before the operation was performed.

In recounting the day, Amani described how a group of women escorted her to a secluded area by some bushes. Amani said: "I remember being told to lie down and they were sat on my head. I remember them holding me. They were forceful putting pressure on my arms."

The trauma wiped her memory as she admits: "I don't remember anything after that at all. I remember waking up and my legs were tied with different ropes. I was crying and screaming and I couldn't wee."

In her later years, Amani began to question the ordeal she had undergone as a child; she discovered that her family had been "preparing for her death" when she contracted an infection post-procedure. Discussing her luck in surviving the aftermath, Amani stated: "Luckily I survived the infection I had.

"Why would you risk a child's life? They think 'lets cut her genitalia so she can be worthy of marriage'."

Amani endured type 3 FGM, which results in the narrowing of the vaginal opening through cutting and repositioning the labia majora. Since early childhood, Amani faced difficulties during her menstrual cycle where she experienced significant clotting.

She expressed the physical discomfort she endures, saying: "It causes me a lot of pain and pressure in the vaginal area. When I would urinate it would just be trickles of urine that could come out. It was painful."

Upon settling in the UK at age 10, Amani's exposure to female anatomy in a year seven biology class led her to a shocking realisation about FGM. Recounting her confusion while comparing her body to diagrams in her textbook, she divulged: "I remember looking at the textbook at how the vagina looked and I was really confused."

Recalling her time in school, she said: "I raised my hand and asked 'are all vaginas like that? They just said 'yes'."

This moment in school propelled her to take her textbook home and delve into researching FGM online. Speaking of her findings, she remarked: "I watched awareness videos."

Her discovery filled her with both vivid recollections and indignation: "I was really angry. It brought back a lot of memories.

"It made me feel less of a woman. It feels like you don't fit in. I felt very isolated. There was a sense of shame."

Amani later found love with Ali, 27, a business entrepreneur, in 2020, but the couple faced challenges due to painful intimacy. Amani confided: "Intercourse was really painful and uncomfortable.. It felt like rape every time I had sex. I was angry at my own body."

She admitted feeling frustrated at herself for her inability to do "I was angry at myself that it would not let me do the simplest of tasks."

The struggle led Amani to consider surgery just as she discovered she was expecting her daughter. During her pregnancy, she was adamant: "I didn't let them do physical examinations on me."

Faced with the dilemma of how to deliver, Amani had two stark choices: either opt for a vaginal delivery that would require cutting the opening wider at the birth canal, or undergo a planned cesarean section. Determined to cherish the moment of becoming a mother, Amani chose to have a c-section on July 4, 2023, stating simply: "When I had her I was really emotional."

She said: "I didn't want to be reminded of my childhood anymore. Having my daughter motivated me."