The Doctors

Dr. Marci Bowers, Renowned Reconstructive Surgeon:

On March 27, 2009, at her Colorado clinic, Dr. Marci Bowers performed the first clitoral repair surgeries ever performed in the United States, successfully restoring clitoral functioning and the capacity for physical pleasure to three FGM victims, referred by CLITORAID.

The first American doctor to volunteer for CLITORAID, she traveled to France through CLITORAID’s sponsorship to train directly under Dr. Pierre Foldes, who pioneered this wonderful clitoral reconstructive surgery that restores physical pleasure and dignity.

Dr. Bowers has also performed many other types of sex-related surgery, including a penile inversion technique for male-to-female sex reassignment. In her expert capacity, she appeared on Oprah Winfrey in October 2008 and has also appeared in numerous TV news broadcasts and documentaries. She even had a role in CSI: Las Vegas’ 100th episode.

During her more than two decades as an obstetrician/gynecologist and surgeon, she has served as ob/gyn department chairperson at Swedish (Providence) Medical Center and as the only physician member of the Washington State Midwifery Board. Listed among “America’s Best Physicians,” she is also a member-elect of the European Academy of Sciences. A graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School, she served as class and student body president.

The CLITORAID team is enormously grateful that Dr. Bowers has so generously volunteered her time, considerable experience and exceptional surgical skills to assist women eagerly awaiting the clitoral reconstruction procedure.

For more information about Dr. Bowers: click here


Larry Ashley, Associate Professor at UNLV and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada Scool of medecine:

Because it’s just as important to treat the psychological damage done to FGM victims as it is to repair the physical damage, the Clitoraid team was thrilled when Dr. Larry Ashley, a leading expert in sexual trauma, volunteered his services.

Professor Ashley Ed.S., LADC, LMSW, LPC CPGC is an Addictions Specialist and Associate Professor in Residence for the Department of Counselor Education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He specializes in the treatment of combat and sexual traumas, with a primary focus on the training and mentoring of trauma and addiction professionals.

For Clitoraid, he will assemble and train a team of community providers and graduate students to provide counseling and therapy for FGM victims both before and after surgery. The post-surgical follow-up is especially important, since it will help the women accept and maximize their new capacity for physical pleasure.





Post-operative patient education and counseling is an essential adjunct to clitoral reconstructive surgery. Dr. Foldes insists that post-op women need help in understanding how to find pleasure through stimulation of their reconstructed organ. They also need help adjusting psychologically to the reality of their new physicality, since they have been conditioned since childhood to feel guilty and ashamed about their sexual needs.

Since many FGM victims have never before experienced pleasure through clitoral stimulation, CLITORAID asked several sexologists and psychologists to design an appropriate post-op program to help them achieve it. The program includes both physical and psychological aspects.

Betty Dodson, Ph.D., Famous Sexologist, Artist and Author:

Betty Dodson, Ph.D., is an artist, author and sex educator as well as an international authority on women’s sexuality. She achieved worldwide recognition for three groundbreaking, erotic art exhibitions in the 1960’s and 70’s before leaving the art world to become a feminist activist and public advocate for women’s sexual liberation.

In 1973, she began running sexual CR (consciousness-raising) groups for women that later became her Bodysex Groups. Under Dodson’s tutelage, women in these groups learned to appreciate the beauty of their genitals as well as to explore the varied experiences of orgasm through masturbation.

In 1974, Dodson wrote, illustrated and self-published her first book, “Liberating Masturbation: A Meditation on Selflove,” which by the 1980’s had become a feminist classic. In 1986, when she sold the book to Crown Publishing Group, it was retitled “Sex for One; the Joy of Selfloving.” In 1996, the revised version of that book became a bestseller and was chosen for the Quality Book of the Month Club. By then, Dodson had been called “America’s first public masturbator” on national television’s Phil Donahue Show. “Sex for One” has since been translated into eight foreign languages. Dodson has a private practice in New York City and maintains an active Web site: the past 10 years, Dodson has provided guidance to help women in Africa who suffered female genital mutilation (FGM) regain some sense of pleasure via her videos and suggestions about how to use various sexual gadgets.

For more information about Dr. Dodson: click here