No Medical Organization Will Say FGM Doctors Should Lose Their Licenses

Medical groups stand together on female genital cutting of children.

I sent medical organizations across the country the same question: Should a physician who has performed genital cutting on children retain an active, unrestricted medical license?

Not one said no.

For context: Dr. Jumana Nagarwala and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, federally indicted in 2017 for performing genital cutting on minor girls, hold active, unrestricted Michigan medical licenses. Michigan’s licensing agency closed its investigations into both physicians with no disciplinary action.

On May 27, I sent each organization a set of questions regarding the licensing of FGM doctors.

Three organizations responded:

• The Federation of State Medical Boards declined to condemn genital cutting on children and refused to comment on the case.

• The American Medical Association condemned FGM in the abstract but declined to say whether these physicians should lose their licenses. They also deferred to an organization that refused to condemn genital cutting on children or licensing FGM doctors.

• The Oakland County Medical Society acknowledged receipt but did not answer the questions.

None said that female genital cutting on children should cost a physician their medical license.

The following organizations did not respond:

• American College of Physicians

• American Academy of Pediatrics

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

• American College of Emergency Physicians

• Michigan State Medical Society

• Wayne County Medical Society

• Michigan College of Emergency Physicians

• Michigan Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics

Female genital cutting on children is a federal crime under the STOP FGM Act of 2020 and is illegal in most states, including Michigan.

If any of the organizations contacted for this article respond or send comment, I will update it with their statements.

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This is an ongoing investigation. If you’d like to support this work, you can contribute here: Expose Medical Board for Licensing an FGM Doctor