Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation
Human Sexuality
Alpena Community College
Mr Howe
November 18, 2015
Introduction
Just as the name suggests, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is considered a violation of human rights all over the world. This practice mostly backed by tradition in most cultures, involved partial or total removal of external parts of the female genitalia for no medical reason. This practice causes injury and deformation of these parts and is mostly carried out on minors for various reasons using techniques that are not medically approved or supervised by qualified medical personnel (Mohammed, Hassan & Eyada, 2014). Besides being an internationally recognized violation of the rights of children, FGM is considered as a reflection of gender inequality in society.
Types of Female Genital Mutilation and their History
Due to its practice in many cultures all over the world, the origin of FGM is unknown. Its practice is reminiscent from the aboriginal tribes of Australia to different societies in Africa. There are different types of female genital mutilation. These types differ in different continents and cultures. However, due to the nature of injuries inflicted on the victims of this practice their physical and emotional effects last for a lifetime with a lot of complications along the way. In order to understand these scarring implications, it is important to know about the types of female genital mutilation practices carried out all over the world
Clitoridectomy involves the total or partial removal of the clitoris through cutting or scraping. In rare cases some communities also cut the prepuce which is the fold of skin that surrounds the clitoris. Excision is another type of female genital mutilation that involves removal of the clitoris. The main difference is that in most cases of excision the labia majora is also removed. Infibulation involves creating a covering seal as a way of narrowing the vaginal opening (Andersson et al, 2012). This covering seal is formed by cutting the outer or inner labia and repositioning it without removing the clitoris. Infibulation in ancient Rome involved piercing of the labia using fibulae. There are other harmful non-medical procedures that are carried out on female genitalia. They include cauterizing, piercing, pricking, incising and scraping the female genital area.
These methods vary due to their wide usage in traditional societies and the reasons behind their use based on different cultures and traditions. In the 19th Century, as a means to curb female masturbation and insanity, gynaecologists removed the clitoris. This method was later considered ineffective. Ties of female genital mutilation to certain parts of the world with a high concentration of traditional cultural beliefs are evident all over the world today. Africa is considered to be the origin of FGM and is still a common practice in most parts of this continent. Countries in East, Central, West and North East Africa still carry out these procedures in high numbers to this day (Banks et al., 2006). Most beliefs about clitoridectomy originating from a specific religious tradition are untrue. It is considered a cultural practice and not a religious one.
Infibulation is believed to have originated in southern Arabia and spread to Africa through its interaction with Arabia over the Gulf of Aden. This operation is normally carried out by nurses who are known to possess the necessary skills to do so. Children ranging between four to eight years are the major victims of this practice. This practice is done after injecting a local anaesthetic into the base of the clitoris and the labia. Using a special type of scissors, a small strip is cut from the labia on both sides exposing two raw flesh surfaces about three centimetres in length and four millimetres in width (Mohammed, Hassan & Eyada, 2014). These parts of the labia are then sutured together using silk so that the vaginal opening is narrowed to about the size of a pea. This process is normally carried out in the bush by nomadic tribes in some parts of Africa. Such ceremonies are carried out in secrecy and only women are allowed to attend. After the process is complete, victims’ legs are tied together with rope for almost two weeks after which they are untied and the female children are allowed to play again.
Reasons for and Implications of FGM
The main reasons for these procedures of female genital mutilation differ depending on the traditions of the community in question. Infibulation for instance is meant to supress sexual activity by reducing the urge to engage in it. In other types of genital mutilation, the grounds of justification held by these communities are related to sexual desires in women. The reason for reducing or terminating feelings of sexual arousal in women is to reduce the likelihood of pre-marital intercourse or adultery. This is why the clitoris which holds a massive number of nerve endings that facilitate arousal upon stimulation was cut off in most of these communities (Berg, Denison & Fretheim, 2010). In countries where FGM is widely performed, uncircumcised women have trouble finding marriage partners due to the belief that uncircumcised women are more likely to be unfaithful. This situation makes it quite difficult for females to resist as they may risk social rejection and in some cases they may be disowned.
However, as much as these procedures might be considered effective, the psychological and physical effects are unknown t...