CTRH S04E12

Ever found yourself wondering what all the fuss around Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is actually about? Isn’t it the same as male circumcision, where only the foreskin is cut off? For the men, have you ever sat and imagined what your life would be like if your parents and relatives held you down as a teenage boy and cut off your penis, scrotum, and testicles, claiming this was the best way to celebrate you coming of age and calling it an important step towards claiming your manhood? Well, buckle up, folks, today’s episode is an intense one.

The WHO defines Female Genital Mutilation as comprising all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice has no health benefits for girls and women and can result in severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, menstrual difficulties, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths. The practice of FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. The practice also violates a person's right to health, security, and physical integrity; the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment; and the right to life, in instances when the procedure results in death.

Dr. Muriu Kinuthia joins us on today’s episode to discuss in detail important aspects of FGM, including the reconstructive procedures available to women who were subjected to this practice. It is a very technical conversation, but both Dr. Muriu and Dr. Claire took time to help simplify the conversation so that you, the audience, can literally become an expert on the topic. We hope that by doing so, everyone watching or listening can fully understand and feel empowered enough to speak up in their own communities to help put an end to this dangerous practice.

Dr. Muriu Kinuthia is a Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeon in private practice in Nairobi, with a strong passion for microsurgery, a very complex and delicate aspect of his field. He is also an associate editor for a plastic surgery journal, the PRS Global Open. He strives to ensure that clinical practice is evidence-based and that patients receive care that is safe and that can be replicated internationally at the same high-quality standard. His hobbies include a passion for photography and playing the guitar, which serves as both a relaxation tool and a means to keep his hands well-exercised, given the intricate surgeries he performs.

Connect with Dr. Muriu on all social media platforms @dr.muriu.kinuthia To book an appointment with Dr. Muriu, call PrimeCare Health Services on 0712 220 450

CTRH podcast Location partner:

@ashleyfurniturekenya@fairdealfurniture

Production by @artlight

How can you support this podcast? Subscribe & Rate this episode, Share & leave a comment.

#FemaleGenitalMutilation #FGMAwareness #reconstructionafterFGM #plasticsurgery #reproductivehealth #sexualhealth #mentalhealth #debunkingmyths #Edutainment #CTRHPodcast

On today’s episode, Dr. Claire hosts the amazing author Joan Thatiah to discuss her 5-book series “The confessions of Nairobi Men and Women”. Initially, this series trended online on the premise that it was about the debauchery that Nairobi is quite famous for, which got everyone running to secure their copies. For anyone who actually read the books though, they discovered a heartbreaking collection of true stories depicting abuse that adversely shaped or formed the basis for derailment of multiple lives. These are truly confronting and heartbreaking stories that made or broke those brave enough to share.

Dr. Claire explores Joan’s journey to becoming an author and how she came to compile the powerful stories in this series of books. They explore the culture of insect in families, SGBV and child sexual exploitation by those in positions of power, with an important focus on the impact these incidences have on the survivors and in some cases the perpetrators themselves. They also explore the power of storytelling in SGBV advocacy; how it helps educate others about perils they may never have otherwise considered, how it starts conversations in rooms where policies and laws can be created to protect vulnerable groups, and how it helps survivors find their voice and take their power back. Finally, they explore how Joan was able to debrief and take care of her own mental health after listening to such jarring and triggering stories of human suffering; how she discovered the importance of prioritising her own mental health and her role in helping amplify the voices of those often unheard or unbelieved and abandoned in Nairobi’s fast-paced man-eat-man culture.

Joan Thatiah is a celebrated award winning Kenyan author, journalist and fearless storyteller with a knack for capturing the nuances of modern Kenyan life. She is passionate about amplifying African voices and experiences, drawing inspiration from her surroundings. Her voice is unmistakeable: bold and deeply rooted in the realities of the people she writes about. If she weren’t a writer, she would be a psychiatrist because the human mind fascinates her.

The Confessions series consists of 5 books:

Confessions of Nairobi women

Confessions of Nairobi men

Confessions of Nairobi women book 2

Confessions of Nairobi men Book 2

Confessions of Nairobi men and women - The final chapter

Connect with Joan on all social media platforms @joanthatiah & @storizetuthebookstore to purchase her books and many others. The bookstore website is

CTRH podcast Location partner:

@ashleyfurniturekenya

@fairdealfurniture

Production by @artlight

How can you support this podcast?

Subscribe & Rate this episode, Share & leave a comment

#thepowerofstorytelling #SRHRAdovocacy #healingthroughsharing #reproductivehealth #sexualhealth #mentalhealth #debunkingmyths #Edutainment #CTRHPodcast