SEX-ED + moulds genitalia to create tools for sexuality education and sexual health professionals. These anatomical models are used to train professionals and to support discussions about anatomy, hygiene, stimulation, pleasure, safer-sex practices, body image and much more.
Poster FGM: Excision, infibulation, re-exposition of the clitoris
Plaster casts of the external genitalia (vulvae) of ten cisgender (whose gender aligns with gender assigned at birth), endosex (who don’t have known intersex traits) women. Every one of them has had a form of excision and/or infibulation and three elected to have a clitoris re-exposition surgery. All models shaved completely before moulding.
Model X1
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), nulliparous (who hasn’t given birth), 23-year-old woman.
Model had a type Ia FGM/C (removal of the prepuce/clitoral hood) at age 7 under local anaesthesia. One year prior to moulding, Model had an elective surgery (labiaplasty) to remove an growth that was uncomfortable.
Name given to genitalia
“Pôti. This word refers to a kids’ game where you play house and cook. You play it during a time of innocence and you have fun doing your thing and not sharing your toys with anyone. When you become a teenager the same word becomes a sexual reference to your genitalia that you also refuse to share with others. It’s like the “cake” that women have and men are trying to get a piece of”.
Relationship with genitalia
“Before I didn’t like them because of this weird growth on my labia. But it did not prevent me from taking pictures of it and imagining the growth wasn’t there. Now since the surgery to remove it, I consider my Pôti as an integral part of myself which I have control over. It is a part of me, but I am the boss of it.”
Model X2
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), 34-year-old woman who gave birth vaginally several times.
Model had a type IIb FGM/C (total removal of the clitoral glans and the internal labia) at age 5.
Name given to genitalia
“None.”
Relationship with genitalia
“Before, I used to think that I was different than other women but because of my sexologist, I learned to love my body and my genitals. For the longest time my partners would say that I wasn’t like the other women and it was really frustrating.”
Model X3
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), nulliparous (a person who hasn’t given birth) 25-year-old woman.
Model had a type IIIb FGM/C (narrowing of the vaginal opening with the creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning the external labia with excision of the clitoral prepuce and glans (infibulation)) at a really young age. She also has a cyst where the clitoris has been cut and has a lot of pain associated with menstruation. Model had a defibulation (a surgical procedure dividing scar tissue which partly obstructs the vaginal introitus and/or urethra) one week after the moulding and the cyst was removed.
Name given to genitalia
“Ambar” (Somali word for vulva).
Relationship with genitalia
“We do not talk about it, it is taboo. I am not familiar with it. I’ll be defibulated because it’s difficult for me to pee and I have a lot of pain when I am menstruating and there is also a cyst. I can’t wait to be able to pee properly and hear the sound of it, and to have normal periods, with bright red blood and much less pain like a normal woman. I also hope it’s going to get better with sex.”
Model X4
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), nulliparous (who hasn’t given birth), 24-year-old woman.
Model had FGM/C type IIIb (Narrowing of the vaginal opening with the creation of a covering seal by cutting and positioning the external labia with excision of the clitoral prepuce and glans (infibulation)) at age 8. She had an elective defibulation surgery (a surgical procedure dividing scar tissue which partly obstructs the vaginal introitus and/or urethra) in 2016 to alleviate difficulties and pains during urination and menstruations.
Name given to genitalia
“Siil (vagina in Somali).”
Relationship with genitalia
“I had the infibulation at 8 years old. My sister was the first, I was standing at the door and I was crying, I was so scared, I ran away. In 2016, I was defibulated because I had difficulties peeing and with my period. Now it’s really better. It is all good. Better than before. I had heard that if a girl is ‘open’, no man will marry her, but it’s not true. After having the operation I would like to encourage all girls who need it to do it. It’s your life, do it for yourself. Don’t do it for the man who will marry you.”
Model X5
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), 42-year-old woman who gave birth vaginally.
Model had FGM/C type IIb (total removal of the clitoral glans and the internal labia) at age 6 and an elective re-exposition surgery two years prior to moulding.
Name given to genitalia
“None.”
Relationship with genitalia
“I was cut at age 6. It’s something we shouldn’t do to children. I don’t want to talk about it. I am ashamed and I don’t even want to think about it. Two years ago I had the reconstructive surgery. Something was missing from my body and I wanted it back. Now that the surgery is done I can feel something. I am starting to touch there to stimulate it. Just a little, but I know I have something now that I didn’t use to have. I want to say that if women have a chance to be repaired, they must do it. That, and have access to holistic care”
Model X6
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with the gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), 40-year-old woman who gave birth via C-section.
Model had FGM/C type IIIb (Narrowing of the vaginal opening with the creation of a covering seal by cutting and positioning the exterior labia with excision of the prepuce and glans (infibulation)) 20 years prior and another surgery to re-expose the clitoris 6 years prior to moulding.
Name given to genitalia
“Ambar, (Somali for vulva), pussy.”
Relationship with genitalia
“I love myself; it’s fantastic, thanks for being here!”
Comments
“We are not intact. When you get defibulated you can actually pee and hear the noise, it’s healthy. You must think about your health before anything, before thinking about others. We must know our bodies and learn about them with someone who can guide us. Fun and pleasure are important! My previous partners didn’t want me to have the reconstructive surgery because they didn’t want me to feel pleasure. I decided to do this on my own. No one will prevent me from doing anything. I am happy I made this choice. Infibulation is a horrible practice, it’s not human. It’s punishing girls for their femininity. You can’t pee properly. After defibulation, it was better but it was still painful. Sexually it was terrible. I either didn’t feel anything or felt pain. I learned about the reconstructive surgery and I wanted to feel whole. It worked well and I am completely satisfied.”
Model X7
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), 44-year-old woman who gave birth vaginally.
Model had FGM/C type IIb (total removal of the clitoral glans and the internal labia) at age 4, followed by three others because her vulva didn’t look the way her family expected it to look. Model had an elective re-exposition surgery of the clitoris 3 months prior to moulding.
Name given to genitalia
“I do not really have a word for it, let’s call it a vulva.”
Relationship with genitalia
“I have always loved my vulva. Even with the FGM/C I’ve always loved it, despite its difference. Every time I go to the loo, I look at it at great length. I have a lot of love for it.”
Comments
“I was cut 4 times. The first time I was really young, the three other times I was a child and I can remember it. My internal and external labia have been cut and I have also been sewn. The consequences were terrible: I had some bad scarring and the size of my vaginal opening was greatly reduced. I was cut several times because in my country (Burkina Faso) it is thought that if a baby touches the labia when he or she is born it will die. After being cut, the pain was constant. Every penetration was tearing me up. After my first pregnancy they cut me open and it was much better. Re-exposing the clitoris was a way to get my dignity back and to shout a big “fuck off!” to this awful tradition. If I close my eyes, I can imagine a world where FGM doesn’t exist and where no girl, teen, woman or mother has to suffer. Because FGM destroy lives. Reconstructive surgery is a step toward healing and self-acceptance. For me it had a very positive psychological impact. The last time they cut me I was 11 or 12. The pain was such that I experienced it as attempted murder. I thought this person wanted to kill me. Those images are forever in my mind: the knife, the blood, the soil, the pain, the screaming of other children. This anger is still there, but I can tolerate it now and it makes me empathetic to the pain and sufferings of others. And it drives me in my activism and the causes I support.”
Model X8
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (a person whose gender aligns with the gender assigned at birth), endosex (a person who doesn’t have known intersex traits), 37-year-old woman who gave birth vaginally several times.
Model had FGM/C type IIb (total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora) at a young age
Name given to genitalia
“Vagina, Agnes, Zezette”
Relationship with genitalia
“It’s neutral. I do not have a more specific relationship to it than to the rest of my other body parts. It functions but I do not derive pleasure from it. But I have never known it so I do not miss it. FGM/C is not necessary. Girls should be able to know their body in its entirety and parents should ensure that they are not subjected to such practices.”
Model X9
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with the gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), nulliparous (who did not give birth), 20-year-old woman.
Model had FGM/C type IIb (partial removal of the clitoral glans and the internal labia) at 6 years old.
Model had an elective labiaplasty surgery 6 months prior to moulding to remove a part of her internal labia that was causing pain and discomfort.
Name given to genitalia
“The thing, the little animal.”
Relationship with genitalia
“It is very distant. I am not open to exploring it and I feel that something is preventing me from doing so. A friend who lives abroad had a really strong negative reaction when I told her I was going to do the moulding. There is a lot of guilt. It bothers me this distance that I have with my body. I can’t look at myself; I can’t look at this thing myself so I can’t imagine showing it to someone else. When we talk about it I feel that it could be cool to try and have some pleasure. When I talk to the sexologist I see the point, but I still can’t do it.”
Comments
“I was cut at 6 by the mother of a friend of my mum. I wasn’t under anaesthetic so I felt all the pain and I cursed everyone. Women were holding my limbs, they put methylene blue (disinfectant) on the cut and they wrapped my wounds in fabric, like a diaper. After two weeks there was a big feast with the women, the neighbours, and the aunts. I didn’t know what they were about to do to me. They bought me gifts. My dad bought me a doll. They braided my hair. You want to go through it because you have gifts and you are at the center of attention. You decide what you want to eat. They did it at dawn after a shower. At first I was mad, but after I was glad because I didn’t have to do chores. Now, I would never accept that it be done to a child of mine. In my culture you must control women’s sexuality. I was in pain but I couldn’t talk about it in Africa. So when I arrived in Belgium, I talked about it with my mother-in-law. She showed me her vulva and I showed her mine. I explained to her that I had pain when menstruating and when I wore tight jeans because I had a bump on one of my labia. That’s why I had a surgery to get it removed.”
Model X10
External genitalia (vulva) of a cisgender (whose gender aligns with the gender assigned at birth), endosex (who doesn’t have known intersex traits), 30-year-old woman who gave birth vaginally.
Model had FGM/C type Ia (partial removal of the prepuce/clitoral hood) at age 6,
“We were on summer holidays in a village in my birth country. My aunt, on my dad’s side, had already cut my sister without the consent of my parents so they were mad and refused to see her. But she complained and they relented and sent me to spend the night. They dropped me off late in the evening with the idea of coming back to pick me up early in the morning so nothing could happen. My aunt woke me up early, before prayer, and she told me to open my legs, and then, they cut me. My dad arrived after the fact. He was furious and never talked to her again, but he couldn’t take me away immediately because there was a feast. They rolled me in fabric; put a scarf on my head, and everyone came to celebrate me. After the cutting there was a big party. If it had been my mum who decided I should be cut I would have accepted it. But my aunt? No! She did not have authority over me. But, in my culture, paternal aunts have a lot of power.”
Name given to genitalia
“My plushy. That’s how my partner and I call it, and we name it like that with our kid now also.”
Relationship with genitalia
“When I realized what had been done to me I was really sad. But I told myself that I deserve to have pleasure and now I am actively pursuing it. Sometimes I don’t feel like having sex. I thought that my clitoris had been cut off, but realized later on that only the hood had been removed. I want to give myself the opportunity to experience pleasure, especially since the doctor I saw told me I had a beautiful vulva. I want to give it love and respect. I want to respect my own desire. And not submit to the desires of men. Everyone has the right to do what they want with their body. Society shouldn’t decide if you have the right to pleasure or not. It’s your body.”
Comments
“I strongly recommend watching the movie ‘The Source’. It shows that a lot of things can happen when you have access to education. When you know your worth, your rights, you can better advocate for them”