No. The surgery I had is definitely the problem. My clitoris was mutilated in a surgery performed without my consent. This happened due to systemic negligence. Not trying to masturbate until I was 18+ otherwise would have been pretty normal and turned out just fine.

The point of telling my story is so people understand the consequences of OB/GYNs doing surgeries they are not trained to do on anatomy they do not know. I would also like my doctor to admit what he did.

Being afraid to talk about it just kept me paralyzed and silent. If anything I say makes people uncomfortable, that’s on them. If they want to blame me or judge me, that’s on them too.

Studies have shown that ignorance about vulvar anatomy and sexual function is not uncommon among young women.