Female genital mutilation in the era of medicalization: A growing threat to global elimination efforts

Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains a major global public health and human rights concern, with recent evidence highlighting a concerning shift toward medicalization. The involvement of health workers in performing FGM creates a false perception of safety, reinforces social acceptance, and threatens progress toward global elimination. This article discusses the drivers and consequences of medicalized FGM, including social pressures, misconceptions of harm reduction, weak enforcement, and professional ethical challenges. Although medicalization is sometimes promoted as a safer alternative, evidence demonstrates that it does not eliminate the physical, psychological, and social harms associated with FGM. Strengthening health worker accountability, integrating prevention into reproductive and maternal health services, enforcing professional regulations, and expanding survivor-centred care are essential strategies. Sustainable elimination requires coordinated action involving healthcare systems, communities, policymakers, and global health organizations to ensure that health workers become advocates for abandonment rather than facilitators of a harmful practice.