A new study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations' Human Reproduction Programme (HRP) titled Exploring the health complications of female genital mutilation through a systematic review and meta-analysis, compiled comparative data from women with and without FGM, including differenced by FGM types and revealed the long-term affect that this process bears on women.

Female genital mutilation or FGM is a harmful, deeply rooted cultural practice that still continues to affect the health and well-being of millions of women and girls from around the world. The recent study highlights just how far-reaching the consequences of FGM can be. It also notes the physical, mental, sexual, obstetric, and even neonatal health.

The study is published in BMC Public Health and analyzes data from over 75 studies conducted in around 30 countries. It offers a detailed look at the short-term and long-term effects of FGM on survivors.

What Did The Study Find?

The study found that FGM carries immediate health risks, from excessive bleeding, severe pain, shock, to life-threatening infections. In long term, survivors may also suffer from chronic menstrual problems, urinary tract infections, kidney issues, and pain during intercourse.

It can also lead to mental health consequence: The emotional toll of FGM is significant. The study shows that women who have undergone FGM are nearly three times more likely to experience depression or anxiety, and are 4.4 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This mental anguish can persist for years, severely affecting quality of life, relationships, and self-esteem.

The obstetric complication includes the increased risk during childbirth. Women who have undergone FGM are more than twice as likely to experience prolonged or obstructed labor, hemorrhage, or need emergency caesarean sections or forceps deliveries. These complications not only endanger mothers but also put newborns at risk of fetal distress, asphyxia, and even death.

What Is FGM?

As per WHO, FGM comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. It also comprises of all the 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. It can also lead to development of cysts, menstrual difficulties, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths.

This practice is recognized internationally as violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against girls and women.

What Are The Types Of FGM?

There are 4 types of FGM, as followed:

Type 1: This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans, and/or the prepuce/clitoral hood.

Type 2: This is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora, with or without removal of the labia majora.

Type 3: This is also known as infibulation. The process involves the narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the labia minora or the labia majora, sometimes through stitching, with or without removal of the clitoral prepuce or the clitoral hood and glans.

Type 4: This includes all the other kinds of harmful procedures done to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, which include pricking, piercing, incising, scraping, and cauterizing the genital area.

The Urgent Need for Awareness

Dr Pascale Allotey, WHO’s Director of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and head of HRP, said:

“This study paints a devastating picture of the manifold health implications of female genital mutilation… There is a critical need to ensure timely, high-quality health care for survivors, to engage communities for prevention and ensure families are aware of FGM’s harmful effects.”

The WHO stresses the importance of community education, survivor care, and political will to end the practice. Recognizing the complexity of cultural beliefs that drive FGM, experts emphasize the need for culturally sensitive interventions that empower women and girls.

An interesting finding emerged from the US, where salmon became bolder after exposure to an anti-anxiety drug. Clobazam, a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety in humans, has been found to affect Atlantic salmon similarly. According to a new study, exposure to the drug makes the fish less fearful and more confident in taking risks.

How Was The Study Conducted?

Researchers dumped clobazam and the pain-relieving opioid tramadol into the waters of Atlantic salmon before they were set to migrate from the River Dal in Sweden to the Baltic Sea. The study, which was published in the journal Science found that clobazam, made the fish bolder and changed their migratory behaviour, while tramadol had seemingly no effect.

More of the salmon affected by the anti-anxiety drug swam faster and farther and made it out to sea than those that were drug-free. "Here, we are actually showing that there's a direct change in behaviour that then alters survival," said Michael G. Bertram, a behavioral ecologist at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and lead author of the study.

The fish which consumed clobazam, also passed through obstracles, including two hydropower damns. The fish with clobazam also passed through obstacles, including two hydropower dams, more quickly. "You can imagine passing through a hydropower dam — these are big dams with big turbines — is a fairly stressful event for a small fish," Jack Brand, a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the study's lead author, said to Vox.

These areas also have These areas also tend to have an abundance of predators. "It's like playing poker," said Giovanni Polverino, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Tuscia in Viterbo, Italy, to the Times. "The more risks you take, the more chances you have to lose everything — in this case, the fish's life."

Soup Of Drugs

Humans share a large amount of biological architecture with fish, said Christopher C Caudill. a professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences at the University of Idaho, to CNN. "Thus, it's intuitive that psychoactive drugs alter the behavior of both fish and humans."

A breast cancer diagnosis is life-altering. The ignored lump, the dismissed nipple changes, it’s only when the final diagnosis arrives that the gravity of it all sinks in. Well, good news is that with timely intervention, breast cancer can be treated and controlled. You fight through treatment, begin to heal, grow your hair back, regain your strength—and slowly, life starts to feel normal again. Now imagine being told it’s back. A relapse. It is of course a tough blow to take.

Recently, author and filmmaker Tahira Kashyap spoke up about her breast cancer relapse with strength and honesty, reminding us that she’s not alone in this fight. Many women face relapses, and it requires a lot of courage.

Dr. Sachin Trivedi, Director of Medical Oncology, HCG Hospitals Cancer Centre, Mumbai, explains, “Breast cancer can relapse locally, which means in the same breast or chest area, regionally (nearby lymph nodes), or distantly, which we call metastatic relapse where it spreads to other organs like the bones, liver, lungs, or brain.”

Dr. Hemkant Verma, Surgical Oncologist at Sharda Care Healthcity, adds that a relapse occurs when dormant cancer cells become active again. “It can be emotionally devastating, but with medical advancements, many relapsed cancers can still be managed effectively. Early detection and prompt action are our best tools.”

Local or regional relapses, especially those that occur after a few years, are most often treatable. Doctors say that the 5-year survival rate can still be as high as 60–80%, depending on individual cases. However, metastatic relapse (Stage IV) isn’t considered curable, but it is manageable. Many patients go on to live active lives for several years. What matters most is early detection, how aggressive the cancer is, where it has spread, and how well the body responds to treatment.

Minimising the risk of relapse

While treatment is key, there are lifestyle choices that can help reduce the risk of a recurrence like avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy weight, following a balanced, antioxidant-rich diet and staying physically active.

Doctor warns that hormone replacement therapy should only be taken if it is medically advised.

"Staying in close contact with your oncology team is crucial. Regular follow-ups, checkups, and screenings play a vital role in catching any signs of recurrence early. Also, it’s important to address lingering side effects, whether it’s fatigue, menopause symptoms, bone loss, or lymphedema. Even something as simple as daily walks or gentle yoga can improve physical and mental health outcomes," adds Dr Sachin. Physical healing is only one part of the journey. Emotional and mental wellbeing matter just as much. Whether it’s therapy, support groups, mindfulness, journaling, or creative expression, it’s important to have an outlet and a support system.

Dr. Dinesh Pendharkar, Director, Sarvodaya Cancer Institute, adds that cancer relapse isn't a failure, it’s simply a new chapter. “Cancer is complex and can evolve over time, developing resistance to earlier treatments. Some cells may lie dormant and later reactivate. But today, we have many treatment options: chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and even clinical trials.”

He reminds patients that science is advancing rapidly. “A relapse doesn’t mean the end. It’s just the beginning of a new strategy. With better tools, better treatments, and stronger support systems, this is a fight we can face with renewed hope. Think of it as a spiral, you have already climbed so far, and now you are rising to the next level.”

It begins innocently enough, a glass of wine after work, a beer during dinner, a cocktail to celebrate the weekend. In an increasingly stressed-out world where self-care is a buzzword, alcohol quietly slips itself as a coping mechanism. It's soothing, comforting, and socially approved but under the tranquil veneer of your "one drink after work" routine, there is a growing alarm in science.

Increasing evidence is showing that even moderate alcohol use levels previously considered "safe" or "moderate" could be silently driving long-term health threats. The Behavioural Insights Team's new study, commissioned by Alcohol Change UK, has sparked a worldwide debate about what we think we know about alcohol and the health risks we tend to overlook.

The British study examined data from more than 4,000 adults and compared the health of moderate drinkers—those who drink according to National Health Service (NHS) guidelines with abstainers. The results were startling and alarming.

Even among the so-called "low-risk" consumption category, researchers observed an increase in cancer and cardiovascular disease. Incidence of cardiovascular disease rose from 1% among abstainers to 5% among low-intake drinkers, and cancer rates rose from 1% to 4%. These drinkers also had lower sleep quality, reduced daily functioning, and poorer dental health.

For a population like the UK, where over 30 million people drink within these levels, the implications are sobering. “We’ve fallen prey to the false idea that drinking problems only affect a small number of dependent individuals,” said Dr. Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK. “But as this research makes clear, alcohol is taking a toll on health and wellbeing even at ‘low-risk’ levels.”

Is Any Amount of Alcohol Really Safe?

We’ve long been fed mixed messages about alcohol. For years, the idea that red wine could improve heart health circulated widely. But recent science is challenging those notions. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement in The Lancet Public Health last year making it clear: no level of alcohol consumption is completely safe.

Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy also made a public advisory, which emphasized the well-documented association between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. The International Agency for Research on Cancer identifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen—the same category as asbestos, tobacco, and radiation.

But surveys indicate that fewer than half of Americans are aware that alcohol raises cancer risk. Misconceptions are deeply entrenched, including the perception that a daily drink is harmless—or even healthy. But the facts indicate otherwise.

Why the Way We Drink Matters?

The NHS guidelines are to have no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, approximately six pints of beer or ten small glasses of wine. But the way that people understand that limit is everything.

"Some individuals view 14 units as a goal to reach over the weekend," says Professor David Nutt, a former government drugs adviser. "They will have seven drinks on Friday and seven on Saturday and think that is fine. But bingeing on those units in one or two sessions increases the risks." This behavior substantially increases the likelihood of stroke, liver disease, and alcohol injuries—despite overall weekly consumption being within "safe" limits.

Mental Health, Sleep, and the Stress Paradox

Alcohol is commonly resorted to as a means of relaxing or stressing less. But in fact, it's a temporary fix that usually makes things worse. Although it will depress anxiety temporarily, its consequences usually comprise rebound anxiety, insomnia, and emotional insensitivity.

Alcohol also disrupts sleep architecture—resulting in poorer-quality sleep. It blunts emotional highs as well as lows, slowly stealing people's motivation, connection, and happiness. What starts as an occasional ceremony can degenerate into dependency, tolerance, and mental health deterioration.

In spite of the science, it is not easy to shift attitudes towards alcohol. When drinkers in London were asked by Sky News about bottling health warnings, the results showed a consensus view, "We already know it's not good for us—more warnings won't change that.

Most individuals view alcohol consumption as a rational gamble, valuing social pleasure over enduring health. The media, marketing, and social behavior support this normalization, which makes it more difficult to change habits—when health is at stake.

Healthier Alternatives That Can Help With Drinking

Nobody is advocating that individuals need to stop drinking alcohol cold turkey. But being more attentive about when, how, and why you drink is important. Specialists suggest experimenting with other stress-management techniques:

• Deep breathing, guided meditation, or yoga
• Regular exercise
• Therapy or support groups
• Creative expression such as journaling or art
• Substance-free social connection

These alternatives develop emotional strength instead of dependence, allowing you to cope with stress in healthy ways without exacerbating health dangers.

That evening cocktail can seem like a harmless ritual or even a self-care activity but new research is forcing us to reconsider that picture. Even light drinking can have severe long-term implications for your heart, your sleep, your mental health, and your risk of cancer. Knowing the true impact is the initial step towards change. Perhaps that glass of wine isn't so worth it after all, not if it comes with a secret health price that goes on and on long after the bottle is dry.