Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice that started in Africa approximately 2000 years ago. It is primarily a cultural practice, not a religious practice. Female genital mutilation, also called female circumcision, includes procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for non-medical reason. There are several different types of female circumcision: Sunna Circumcision - consists of the removal of the prepuce (retractable fold of skin, or hood) and /or the tip of the clitoris. Sunna in Arabic means "tradition".   Clitoridectomy - consists of the removal of the entire clitoris (prepuce and glands) and the removal of the adjacent labia.   Infibulation (pharonic circumcision) -- consists of performing a clitoridectomy (removal of all or part of the labia minora, the labia majora). This is then stitched up allowing a small hole to remain open to allow for urine and menstrual blood to flow through (Shaw and Lee, 2007). In order to have sexual intercourse the woman has to be opened up in some fashion and in some cases cutting is necessary. After child birth some women are re-infibulated to make them (tight) for their husbands, known in the US as the “daddy stitch”. These procedures have no health benefits for girls and women. It is mostly carried out on young girls sometime between infancy and age 15 years. In Africa an estimated 92 million girls from 10 years of age and above have undergone FGM (Antrobus, 2004).
            Cultures that practice FGM have many reasons why the procedures must be done some include:   the procedure will reduce a women's desire for sex and in doing so will reduce the chance of sex outside the marriage, some view the clitoris and the labia as male parts on a female body, thus removal of these parts enhances the femininity of the girl, unless a female has undergone this procedure she is unclean and will not be allowed to handle food or water, bad genital odors can only be eliminated by removing the clitoris... [continues]

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