A debate surrounding female genital mutilation (FGM) is escalating in Mali following public support for the practice. Healthcare professionals are speaking out against the medical and human consequences of FGM, with one gynecologist sharing a particularly harrowing experience. Dr. Charlemagne Ouédraogo, a former Burkinabe health minister, recounts witnessing a woman forced to deliver a baby through her anus due to severe scarring from FGM blocking the vaginal canal. The baby’s passage caused significant tearing of the perineum and rectum. Dr. Ouédraogo emphasizes this case exemplifies the devastating long-term health impacts of FGM, including risks to maternal mortality and sexual health. He warns that FGM significantly increases the risk of complications during childbirth and can lead to numerous sexual dysfunctions.