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FGM - Female Genital Mutilation
Current mood: motivated and determined to get out this message
Female Genital Mutilation
Kathleen Mary Sheridan
Female Genital Mutilation in all forms, in all communities, in all
countries, for all reasons, MUST be stopped!
This term we have recently been frightened with,
FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) is primarily practiced in 28
countries on the continent of Africa, but also practiced
in so-called 'sophisticated', 'rich' countries such as the United
States, New Zealand, Europe, Australia and Canada.
Our informational blog seeks to promote
awareness of this horrific form of abuse towards females including
babies, children and women.
Female Genital Mutilation is a collective name to describe
procedures that involve partial or total removal of the
external female genitalia or other injury to female genital organs
whether for cultural or other non-medical reasons.
FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women; and
it is a grave threat to their health. It enters human rights
discourse primarily on the basis of three issues: informed
consent, patriarchal oppression, and violence against women. The
issue of informed consent mirrors the debate about male
circumcision though with far more intensity. African feminists
generally reject the imported women's rights discourse that
universally adopts an assumption of male dominance, and prefer
instead to realize their gender roles on their own terms. FGM is a
blatant act of violence against women. It is mutilatrion and has
horrible consequences.
The World Health Organization has divided Female Genital
Mutilation into four types:
- Type I: clitoridectomy (circumcision)
consisting in removal of the prepuce with or without excision
of part or the entire clitoris.
- Type II: excision, < consisting in
>removal of the prepuce and the clitoris along with partial
or total excision of the labia minora.
- Type III: infibulation,the form of FGM
common in the countries of the Horn of Africa, consisting of
the partial or total removal of the external genitalia. The
two sides of the vulva are then sewn with a suture or thorns,
reducing the size of the vuval opening and leaving only a
small hole for the passage of urine and menses.
- Type IV: includes various practices of
manipulation of the female genital organs - piercing or
incision of the clitoris and/or labia; cauterization by
burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissue; scraping of
the vaginal opening (angurya) or cutting of the vagina
(gishiri); introduction of corrosive substances in the vagina
to cause bleeding or introduction of herbs with the aims of
narrowing the vagina.
The age at which girls undergo FGM varies
enormously according to the ethnic group practising it. The
procedure may be carried out when the girl is a newborn, during
childhood, adolescence, at the time of marriage or during the
first pregnancy.
Consequences Of Fgm:
The consequence of FGM depends on the type of operation performed
(infibulation clearly has more serious consequences), the ability
and experience of the one performing the operation, the hygienic
conditions under which it is performed, and the girl's health at
the time of the operation.
Immediate Consequences
- Shock: due not only to the severe pain
caused by an operation performed without anesthesia but also
to the loss of blood which can continue for several days even
when moderate, or to sepsis.
- Hemorrhage: the most common and almost
inevitable consequence, given that amputation of the clitoris
can also involve resection of the dorsal artery. Moreover,
even amputation of the labia can cause damage to veins and
arteries. Prolonged hemorrhage can cause a girl's death or
lead to long term anemia.
- Infections: due to unsanitary conditions,
use of unsterilized instruments and the fact that urination
and defecation take place over the wound in girls that are
bound. In the case of infibulation, an internal explosion of
the infection can occur that can affect organs such as the
uterus, the fallopian tube and the ovaries, causing chronic
pelvic infections and infertility.
- Urinary retention lasting eight to ten
days: These girls find urination extremely painful due to
inflammation of the wound on the vulva. This complication can
cause infections of the urinary tract.
- Lesions of adjoining tissue such as the
urethra, vagina, and perineum: This is also due to the use of
unsterilized instruments, the lack of proper illumination
during the operation, the lack of anatomic knowledge in the
practitioners and the struggling of the patient. More frequent
are lesions of the anal and rectal opening with cutting of the
anal sphincter and residual incontinence.
- Tetanus can be contracted through use of
unsterilized equipment.
- HIV/AIDS, the HIV/AIDS virus can be
transmitted by using the same instruments for many operations.
Long-Term Consequences
- Loss of blood: can take place when the
procedure is carried out on an infected wound, for example in
the case of repeated infibulations and of re-infibulation
after childbirth.
- Difficulty urinating: due to obstruction of
the urinary opening and damage to the urinary tube. Urination
can be painful and lead to urinary retention, frequent urge to
urinate, incontinence and infections of the urinary tract.
- Frequent infections of the urinary tract:
often due to damage to the lower urinary tract produced by
mutilation. Frequent infections of this type are common,
especially in infibulated women.
- Incontinence: can be caused by damage to
the urethra during the operation. Incontinence cause lead to a
woman's being segregated from society.
- Chronic pelvic infections: common to
infibulated women: The FGM and partial occlusion of the vagina
and the urethra increase the probably of infection.
- Infertility: due to the infections that can
cause irreparable damage to the reproductive organs.
- Keloids: thickened, fibrous skin tissue
resulting from chronic inflammatory stimulation. These
formations often diminish the size of the vaginal opening with
serious consequences.
- Dermoid cysts: cysts caused by inclusion of
a fragment of skin that can develop into a tumor.
Consequences To Overall Health
- Neuroma: can develop when the dorsal nerve
of the clitoris is cut. The entire genital area becomes
hypersensitive and cause intense, permanent pain.
- Stones: may occur due to residue of the
menstrual flow or by urinary deposits in the vagina and the
space behind the tissue created by infibulation.
- Fistulae: perforations or lesions between
the vagina and the bladder due to damage from FGM or the
repetition of defibulation or reinfibulation, sexual relations
or difficulty in childbirth. The continuous loss of urine and
feces caused by the fistulae can torment these women's lives
and lead to their being rejected by society.
- Sexual dysfunction: the most common
consequences are pain during intercourse and reduction of
sensitivity following the clitoridectomy, but especially as a
result of infibulation. Penetration is difficult, if not
impossible and in some cases, a second cut is necessary.
- Menstrual problems: these often occur due
to the partial or total occlusion of the vaginal opening. This
can lead to dismenorrhea. Hematocolpus cam result due to
menstrual blood stagnating in the vagina for many months. In
these cases, swelling of the abdomen caused by the
accumulation of menstrual blood, along with the apparent lack
of menstruation can lead to suspicion of pregnancy creating
many social problems for the girl.
- Problems during pregnancy and childbirth:
very common in women who have undergone FGM. The resistant
scar tissue can prevent dilation of the birth channel and
cause an obstructed labor. The woman's exhaustion during
expulsion an lead to urinary inertia and loss of blood which
can cause the baby's death. In addition, the child can suffer
from brain damage.
- Infibulation can lead to other problems. It
is, for instance, almost impossible to conduct a pelvic
examination. As a result, it is very difficult if not
impossible to evaluate a dangerous pregnancy or diagnose
illness. If the opening left after infibulation is very tight,
it is also impossible to prevent inflections to the
reproductive apparatus. Nor is a pap test possible, meaning
that it is impossible to diagnose some tumors.
Sexual And Psychological Problems
Studies on the psycho-sexual effects of the practice are few. The
literature however points to the following complications:
- frigidity
- lack of orgasm due to amputation of the
clitoris
- difficulty of penetration due to stiffening
of the vagina tissue
- behavior disturbances
- psychosomatic illness
- anxiety
- depression
- nightmares
- psychosis
Origins Of Fgm
The origins of the practice are unclear. It predates the rise of
Christianity and Islam. There is mention made of Egyptian mummies
that display characteristics of FGM/FGC. Historians such as
Herodotus claim that in the fifth century BC the Phoenicians, the
Hittites and the Ethiopians practised circumcision. It is also
reported that circumcision rites were practised in tropical zones
of Africa, in the Philippines, by certain tribes in the Upper
Amazon, and in Australia by women of the Arunta tribe. It also
occurred among the early Romans and Arabs. As recent as the 1950s,
clitoridectomy was practised in Western Europe and the United
States to treat 'ailments' in women as diverse as hysteria,
epilepsy, mental disorders, masturbation, nymphomania, melancholia
and lesbianism. In other words, the practice of FGM/FGC has been
followed by many different peoples and societies across the ages
and the continents.
Excuses Given for Female Genital Mutilation
The given reasons for the practice of FGM (primarily in the 28
African countries, and a few countries in the Middle East and
Asia) is the set of beliefs, values, cultural and social behaviour
patterns that govern the lives of people in society. The various
reasons can be categorized into five headings as follows:
Psychosexual Excuses
FGM/FGC is carried out as a means to control women's sexuality
(which is argued to be insatiable if parts of the genitalia,
especially the clitoris, are not removed). It is thought to ensure
virginity before and fidelity after marriage and/or to increase
male sexual pleasure.
Sociological And Cultural Excuses
FGM/FGC is seen as part of a girl's initiation into womanhood and
as an intrinsic part of a community's cultural heritage/tradition.
Various myths exist about female genitalia (e.g. that if uncut the
clitoris will grow to the size of a penis; FGM/FGC would enhance
fertility or promote child survival, etc.) and these serve to
perpetuate the practice.
Hygiene And Aesthetic Excuses
In some communities, the external female genitalia are considered
dirty and ugly and are removed ostensibly to promote hygiene and
aesthetic appeal.
Religious Excuses
Although FGM/FGC is not sanctioned by either Islam nor by
Christianity, supposed religious prescripts (e.g. the mention of
'Sunna" in the Koran) are often used to justify the practice.
Another example is Opus Dei which seeks to prevent female members
and their offsprings from 'enjoying' masturbation or
partner-intimacy.
Socio-Economic Excuses
In some communities, FGM/FGC is even a prerequisite for
marriage. Where women are largely dependent on men, economic
necessity can be a major determinant to undergo the procedure.
FGM/FGC sometimes is a prerequisite for the right to inherit.
FGM/FGC may also be a major income source for circumcisers.
Conclusion
The "medicalization" of FGM which is willful damage to
healthy organs for non-therapeutic reasons is unethical and has
been consistently condemned by WHO. (World Health Organization as
well as outlawed in Canada (1992) and the United States
(1995).
Hillary Clinton, then first
lady, stated in 1995 at the Fourth World Conference on
Women in Beijing, China that "it is a violation of human
rights when young girls are brutalized by the painful and
degrading practice of genital mutilation". The Report of the
Fourth World Conference on Women (1995) makes ten mentions of
female genital mutilation in a call to "prohibit" FGM,
"enact and enforce legislation" and "give priority
to educational programmes that emphasize the elimination of
harmful attitudes and practices, including female genital
mutilation and recognizing that some of these practices can be
violations of human rights and ethical medical principles".
By legitimizing FGM as a human rights violation, the United States
passed 22 U.S.C. 262k-2 [22] [23] in 1997, a broadly worded law
that effectively outlaws "female genital mutilation" all
over the world by threatening the denial of loans and aid from the
eight largest international banks.
Some countries in the area of
practice have also prohibited FGM but the practice goes on
in secret.
Religious extremism fuels this physical mutilation
and emotionally-damaging (even deadly) practice.
FGM is present in North America for a few
reasons, one being immigration and the other being domestic
fanatic religious zealots.
The latter we shall not discuss in detail for the
moment due to a current investigation.
Religious groups include (but are by no means
limited to) members of the Catholic cult Opus Dei. The Catholic
church is vehemently, radically and zealously opposed to
fornication, masturbation, homosexuality, birth
control...etceteras.
Opus Dei, as a cult of the Catholic church,
shares the views of the Catholic church on sexuality. Opus Dei is
very secretive of its ways and practices. Some practices of Opus
Dei were exposed in the book The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. FGM
is sometimes practiced by Catholic/Opus Dei religious zealots in
the US and Canada! FGM is performed at varying ages on girls in
order to eliminate sexual pleasure and satisfaction.
In scalping the tip of the clitoris (as in
'excision') or removing completley the clitoris, the
result is the lack of the ability to have a clitoral orgasm or
sexual tension release. The woman has lost part of her body and
her sexuality. Masturbation by stimulation of the clitoris is
futile although many girls struggle alone at night with this for
hours as there is no clitoris after FGM has been performed.
Opus Dei views women as chattles and their sole purpose
is to produce children and raise them to be Opus Dei
members ("soldiers for God"). Sexual intercourse is
solely for procreation and only males should derive pleasure from
the action. This is a seriously skewed and harmful view towards
women.
FGM is practiced widely in
Africa and while it is reassuring that awareness is slowly
spreading to Western societies, few are aware that FGM is
practiced within cults such as Opus Dei. These religious zealots
and fanatics need to be exposed and their cruel Dr. Mengala-esque
practices must be stopped.
It is no wonder there is so much spousal abuse, child abuse and
domestic violence in these cults. When women are
mistreated and abused it is damaging to all. Abuse fuels more
abuse, the abused become the abusers...The seemingly endless chain
of abuse needs to be broken with the cesation of brutalizing and
mutilating women.
Female Genital Mutilation in all forms, in all
communities, in all countries, for all reasons, MUST be stopped!
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