The aim of this article is to assess whether Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery (FGCS), which refers to procedures which change the structure and appearance of healthy female genitalia for non-medical reasons, violates the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, in the light of CPS guidance issued in 2019 and literature regarding the motivations of women seeking FGCS and its effectiveness. The paper concludes that FGCS does, prima facie, constitute FGM and argues that the medical exception contained in the legislation should seldom be available – but based on CPS guidance, a criminal prosecution will rarely be in the public interest. The article ends by asserting that the distinction drawn in practice (if not in law) between the treatment of western and non-western women is problematic, not only because it is discriminatory, but because tolerating FGCS may serve to legitimise FGM and result in the circumvention of the FGM Act 2003.

本文的目的是评估女性生殖器整容手术 ( FGCS ) 是否根据CPS违反了 2003 年女性生殖器切割法，该手术是指出于非医疗原因改变健康女性生殖器的结构和外观的程序。2019 年发布的指南和有关女性寻求FGCS的动机及其有效性的文献。该论文的结论是，从表面上看，FGCS 确实构成了FGM，并认为立法中包含的医疗例外很少适用——但基于CPS指导下，刑事起诉很少符合公共利益。文章最后断言，在实践中（如果不是在法律上）对西方和非西方女性的待遇之间的区别是有问题的，不仅因为它是歧视性的，而且因为容忍FGCS可能有助于使FGM合法化并导致规避2003 年女性生殖器切割法。