Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation
     
                      Female Genital Mutilation
      A society has been defined as a long-standing group of people sharing cultural aspects such as language, dress, norms of behavior and artistic forms (Wiktionary, 2010). The cultural aspects or practices common in some societies are often viewed as harsh or extreme to other societies. One controversial practice common in some cultures is female genital mutilation.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the term used for the removal of all or part of the external parts of the female genitalia. There are three main varieties of the procedure. One type is called Sunna circumcision and consists of the removal of the retractable fold of skin, or hood, and/or the tip of the clitoris. The second type is called clitoridectomy. In a clitoridectomy the entire clitoris and the adjacent labia are removed. The third and most extreme variety is infibulation. Infibulation begins with the clitoridectomy. Then the area is stitched up allowing a small hole to remain open to allow for urine and menstrual blood to flow through (Heitman, 2000).
In 2010, the World Health Organization reported that FGM is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15, and occasionally on adult women. About three million girls in Africa are at risk annually and about 92 million girls age 10 years and above are estimated to have undergone FGM. It is most common in the western, eastern, and northeastern regions of Africa and in some countries in Asia and the Middle East. FGM has also been found among some ethnic groups in Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, as well as parts of India, Indonesia, and Malaysia (Reymond, 1995). It has become an important issue in Australia, Canada, England, France, and the United States due to the continuation of the practice by immigrants from countries where FGM is common (WHO, 2010).
The World Health Organization (WHO) listed cultural, religious, and... [continues]

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