[Mallika]

Hello there,

I'm sorry for being so late to the conversation.

Firstly, I want to send you all my love and support. I'm so, so sorry that this has happened to you. I personally do not know anyone who has opened up as honestly as you have about circumcision, but I have heard a lot about this practice. It happens a lot in my part of the world (South and Southeast Asia) among the Muslim community. I have so many Muslim friends but no one has uttered a word about it. From what I understand, it is a very rampant yet hushed practice, which explains why you had to suffer alone.

Please be assured that support exists. As others on this forum have mentioned, there are support groups for people like you. I'm attaching a few links here:
https://www.yourwholebaby.org/for-the-circumcised
https://sahiyo.com/support-resources/ (this has country-specific resources)
https://www.humanrightscareers.com/i...al-mutilation/ (here is a list of such organisations)

Circumcision without consent, as in your case, can have a physically and emotionally scarring effect. Please don't hesitate to reach out for help - it is available and it can do wonders for you. It's so important that you reached out to us. I understand that you would be overwhelmed by so many emotions right now. It's best if you:

1) Meet a GP to check that your vulva region is healing properly. I really assert this point because from what I know, female circumcision is not always done in a safe or hygienic way. I don't know the kind of place you were at when it happened to you, but I would be very concerned about the healing of such a tender region of the body.

2) Meet a counsellor. You're 15 so I assume you're in school. Your school will probably have a guidance counsellor whom you can talk to about this. If not a guidance counsellor, perhaps meet a teacher. These are complex emotions you're going through - you want to be able to cope with them in the best way possible now so that you can look forward to better days.

Also, I thought of sharing a short documentary I watched on FGM in Singapore where I live. It shocked me, because I have lived in Singapore for close to 20 years and I had no clue it was so rampant. One of the featured ladies has a story similar to yours. However, I will add a trigger warning here as the documentary is about a topic that is still so raw in your mind. But if you feel it might give you a sense of solidarity to see that you're not alone, you can go ahead and watch it. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGLPtcXv8aE

While you might not be able to change what has already happened, you can be a voice for the future. Stay strong

Don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions!