I am a type II FGM victim. How do I know if a nerve is damage?

Question

How do I know a nerve is damaged? I am a type II FGM victim. I saw a specialised plastic surgeon and he told me that my nerve was damaged. All he did was he asked me if I felt his hand, to which I responded affirmatively, and whether I ever orgasmed before to which I said no, but I have minimal experience. Now I don't know how he decided and whether I can tell myself. Thank you. F, 29, fgmhapppened at 9

Lori Warren, MD · Answer

First of all I am so sorry to hear of your experience in childhood with FGM and the lasting repercussions of that experience. Here are my thoughts on your situation. You are going to be the expert on what you can and can not feel. I don’t think that just because you have never had an orgasm, that that can be used as a definitive assessment tool, as many women in the world have not had an orgasm. I would imagine that the healthcare provider touched you to assess whether or not you could feel sensation. If you were able to feel touch then that is good. I would imagine that after having FGM you would have some damage, but all may not be lost. I would recommend doing a little experiment on yourself to determine whether or not you have sensation, and if that sensation leads to pleasure. As you said you are not very experienced so perhaps you may have not found your “hot button to orgasm” yet. I think that you should spend some time getting to know your body. You can either do this manually or employ a small bullet vibrator, I recommend the later, but it really depends on what feels good to you. Set the mood to be free of distraction and relax. Try using the small vibrator on your clitoral area on a low setting, deep breath and relax. Count your breaths as you try not to think too much into it. See what feels good to you. Most women can only have an orgasm from clitoral stimulation so that is why I recommend starting there. Good luck and I hope this helps you discover something within yourself. The clitoris is a much larger organ than people realize, so I think that you may hopefully still get a pleasurable sensation. An O shot could help further improve your nerve conduction in that area, but of course there is no guarantee. I wish you luck and hope that you find this helpful.

Michael Litrel, MD, FACOG, FPMRS · Answer

My advice is simple to see if your nerve is damaged. Get a small female stimulation device on Amazon and place on Clitoral area and see how your body responds.  A doctor will say you have nerve damage because you say you don’t feel anything. But the nerve is under scar tissue and typically can be uncovered. Good luck.

Rohit Seth, MD, MRCS(Ed), PhD · Answer

Dear Rosa

I am very sorry to read what you have gone through at such a young age. 
Unfortunately, these practices do exist and many patients like yourself are then left with a life-time of discomfort and misery. 
In terms of your situation - type II FGM essentially refers to the  removal of part or all of the clitoris and the inner labia (the lips that surround the vagina), with or without removal of the labia majora (the larger outer lips) type 3 (infibulation) –and narrowing the vaginal opening by creating a seal, which is usually formed by cutting and repositioning the labia.

So in terms of what you would be left with, it would be determined by exactly what was carried out. The simple solution to determine what sensation you have or do not have would be to firstly assess this yourself - if there is any clitoral tissue left, depending on how it has been removed would determine whether any sensation is present. The nerve supply comes from below and a superior branch from above, so there might be some sensation there. Internally, the area around the G-spot is usually quite sensitive also and would involve internal manipulation to determine this - using a mechanical device may aid here to determine if any sensation is present.

It is quite a crude way to assess as was described above and it may also involve. There are a number of things that can be done and not done and is does involve a thorough assessment of yourself both physically and psychologically.

This article by WHO maybe of use to you and give more information - attached below

It would also be useful to be reviewed in a multidisciplinary setting with reconstructive surgeon, psychologist and psychotherapist to determine the overall best way to help you.

I hope this is of help to you.

Best wishes

Rohit Seth

Lane Smith, MD · Answer

You’re dealing with a very specialized of area of medicine.  My best advice is that you confer with more than one specialist in this area and learn about the psychological and physical repercussions.  Don't be hasty in your decision.

Marco A. Pelosi III, MD, FACOG, FACS · Answer

There are two types of nerves: motor nerves and sensory nerves. Motor nerves control muscles and damage to these nerves affects muscle function and muscle tone. Sensory nerves control sensation and damage to these nerves results in altered or absent sensation in the areas that these nerves where these nerves are distributed. Your surgeon might have touched several areas, but you might not have felt every area that was touched.

I am a type II FGM victim. How do I know if a nerve is damage?

Answers (6)

Answer: How do I know if a nerve is damage?

Answer: How do I know if a nerve is damage?

Answer: What are the signs of nerve damage in the vaginal area?

Answer: What are the signs of nerve damage in the vaginal area?

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Vaginal Rejuvenation

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

I am a type II FGM victim. How do I know if a nerve is damage?

Answers (6)

Answer: How do I know if a nerve is damage?

Answer: How do I know if a nerve is damage?

Answer: What are the signs of nerve damage in the vaginal area?

Answer: What are the signs of nerve damage in the vaginal area?

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Vaginal Rejuvenation

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.