Emma M. Breitbard-Rasmussen
Ms. Huculak
World Civ/Modern, Period 6
April 5, 2017
Female Circumcision Research Paper
There are many global issues that plague our earth, even now in the 21st century. One of these issues is female circumcision. Female circumcision, or Female Genital Mutilation, is the partial or full removal of the external female genitalia for nonmedical reason. It is an inhumane practice that effects an estimated 200 million women around the world (Global Issues in Context). It is unclear where FGM originally became, but many believe that FGM originated in ancient Egypt and then spread to East Africa. It was believed that FGM would ensure women’s virginity and reduction in the female desire. FGM has also been practised in
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It includes the partial or total removal of the clitoris,which is composed of sensitive erectile tissue, and clitoral prepuce otherwise known as the hood. (Gale: Global Issues in Context)
Type 2.) Intermediate: This form is often referred to as excision. It includes the partial or complete removal of the clitoris, clitoral prepuce, and some or all of the labia minora and often some or all of the labia majora. The labia minora and the labia majora are the inner and outer lips. (Gale: Global Issues in Context)
Type 3.) Infibulation: This is a very severe type of female genital mutilation is also known as pharaonic circumcision. This procedure includes the removal of tissues and then partially closing the vaginal opening by joining the raw tissue on the two sides together so that scar tissue forms across the vaginal opening. A tin object such as a straw is used during healing to preserve a single tiny hole for urination and menstrual flow. It is mostly practiced in northern Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. (Gale: Global Issues in
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Some short term consequences are: Severe pain, excessive bleeding, shock, HIV, urination problems, impaired wound healing, death, and physiological consequences. (WHO: Health Risks of FGM). There are also many long-term consequences of FGM. Some of these consequences are: pain, infections (Chronic genital infections, Chronic reproductive tract infections, Urinary tract infections), painful urination, menstrual problems, keloids, HIV, female sexual health, obstetric complications, obstetric fistula, perinatal risks, and psychological consequences (WHO: Health Risks of
In Chapter Thirteen, “Grassroots vs. Treetops” of Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn the act of genital mutilation is discussed. It starts off by giving gory details on genital mutilation, stating that every ten a girl is mutilated. Despite the medical problems surrounding female genital mutilation, it thrived in parts of Africa as a serious problem for young girls. FGM is sometimes described as a female circumcision, it’s cultural significance is to reduce sexual trends and to make the girls more marriageable. However, often these procedures are done with no new medical supplies and are performed with dirty materials leading to infection and sometimes death for girls partaking. A woman in Illinois is doing her best to stop female genital mutilation by working closely with each village and getting to the main source of the problem. Most people were under educated about what was wrong with female genital mutilation, it was a cultural rite of passage. But through working with each individual village, this woman could help ban female genital mutilation is thousands of villages and increased school attendance at the same time.
In the story written by Frances A. Althaus’s “Female Circumcision: Rite of Passage or Violation of Rights? She explores female circumcision within African Culture and the health complications after the ritual is completed. Female circumcision is the practice of partial or total removal of the female external vaginal area and is still practiced in several countries today , dut was ruled as illegal in America in 1997. Females did not have the option to chose if they wanted to have the procedure performed, mothers often made that decision for them. The practice is to transition a girl into womanhood and to ensure that virginity is not lost before marriage, prevention of infidelity and
Throughout history, there has been a controversial argument on whether female genital mutilation should be banned from Africa. Some people describe female genital mutilation or FGM as a violation of women’s rights and others view it as served for a religious purpose having to do with the Islamic holy book, the Qur’an. Female Genital Mutilation is the removal of all or part of the external parts of the female genitalia. There are three different types of FGM; the first type of FGM is the Sunna Circumcision which is the removal of the tip of the clitoris. The second type is Clitoridectomy which is the removal of the entire clitoris and the adjacent labia. The third type is Infibulation which is the removal of the clitoris and the entire labia including the labia majora and minora. After the removal of the entire labia, the joining of the scraped sides are brought together using thorns or catgut, leaving only a small portion open for menstruation and urinating. Africa has the highest rates of FGM being performed. About 100 million women and girls are affected by FGM and at least 3 million girls are at risk undergoing this process every year. FGM is usually carried out by an elderly woman who is paid fees from the family of the girl undergoing this process (P.a.p.-Blog par. 2, 4). Female Genital Mutilation is usually performed on girl between the ages of three and adulthood. According to the UNICEF or United
Introduce your topic: For those who are not familiar with FGC, it is a cultural practice that has been around for thousands of years. As defined by the World Health Organization female genitalia circumcision comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
On the contrary, it is known to be harmful to girls and women in many ways. First and foremost, it is painful and traumatic. The removal of or damage to healthy, normal genital tissue interferes with the natural functioning of the body and causes several immediate long-term health consequences. For example, babies born to women who have undergone female genital mutilation suffer a higher rate of neonatal death compared with babies born to women who have not undergone the procedure.
Female circumcisions is a tradition practiced worldwide that involves all procedures involving partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical purposes, most often the purpose is to decrease female sexual arousal. Female circumcision can be generally classified under four types. The first is clitoridectomy, which is the partial or complete removal of the female clitoris and its prepuce. The second is excision, which includes the partial or complete removal of the clitoris and labia minora, in this type the labia majora is not always removed. The third type is infibulation, which is the most drastic of the four forms of female circumcision. Infibulation consist of narrowing
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), female genital mutilation consist of a non-medical procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs (Lauren V, 2011).Typically girls from two weeks old, through fourteen years old, are affected by this procedure. The mutilations are conducted under non-sterile conditions; by using razors, knifes, scissors etc.; and without any anesthesia.
Even though FGM is a controversial topic and many oppose it I feel Ahanonu and Victor were able to effectively analyze their audience. The authors were able to appeal to the readers especially mothers by eliciting feelings through connotative meanings and emotional tone (Purdue OWL: The Rhetorical Situation). When reading this article I thought about what I would do if I were in this situation. Whether I agree with FGM or not the authors made me feel empathy for the mothers and feel that they are doing what they think is best for their daughters. Data analyzed from the study showed that 44.2% of the mothers felt by getting their daughters circumcised they were preventing them from becoming promiscuous, preserving their virginity, preventing premarital sex and increasing their chances of marriageability. 30.5% of the mothers believed getting circumcised would promote their daughters to be faithful to their spouses (Ahanonu and Victor,
Medically, some of the effects of female genital mutilation includes: severe pain, urinary complications and/or dysfunction, shock, hemorrhage, infection, scarring, recurrent urinary infections, retention of menses at menarche, vulval cysts, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Furthermore, a woman who has been infibulated might require surgery during childbirth
The phrase “female genital mutilation,” the practice of removing portions of Females’ it was in fact, the repetition of a “social ritual” which occurs on a yearly basis to millions of women, girls, and infants. The history of FGM is not well known, but the practice dated back at least 2000 years. It is not known when or where the tradition of Female Genital Mutilation originated from. It was believed that it was practiced in ancient Egypt as a sign of distinction amongst the aristocracy.What common patterns/effects arise from the impact of the practice of female Genital Mutilation? Common effects/patterns that arise from the practice of FGM is the effects of physical, and emotional health, and its impact on the women who have been through
In certain societies and culture, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a rite of passage and the young girls are aware of the procedure (Nawal, 2008, pp. 135-139). Furthermore, the societies and cultures who partake in this procedure as a rite of passage, religious reasons, so the girls will not be promiscuous before they get married, so the men’s penis does not fall off, and men in certain societies would prefer their wife to be circumcised (Mascia-Lees 2010, pp. 159). Even though certain societies and cultures have their reasoning for performing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), FGM can cause medical, psychological, and pyscho-sexual consequences (Reyners, 2004, pp. 242-251). According to Reyners (2004) most of the girls and women who had Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) type three conducted, they tend to experience heavily affected reproductive and urological functioning. Furthermore, according to Reyners (2004) also recommended if any woman is pregnant and has had any form of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) done, they should be monitored for their safety as well as the infants.
It is sometimes opened to allow childbirth, but is sewn up again. In some cultures, the husband will cut her open to have sex with her. In males, you would have to remove the entire penis and testicles (castration) to compare this with infibualtion (3). This was done in the Catholic Church to get men to sing soprano. It is no longer permitted and has been outlawed by the Pope. It was also done to men who worked in harems so that they would not have sex with the girls.
There are various types of FGM measured by the severity of the procedure. One type is the clitoridectomy, in which the clitoris is removed in part or whole. There is a more extreme type of FGM known as infibulation, the removal of the female genitalia in its entirety, it results in the sewing of the clitoris, leaving a slit in which women are given limited physical ability to excrete fluids and increases danger during childbirth for both the mother and the child in question. The latter example of FGM has been known to have severe side effects that can result in difficulty in childbirth, bleeding, trauma, infection and at length, death.
The World Health Organization divides Female genital mutilation into four major types. The first is called clitoridectomy. This process involves the partial or total removal of the clitoris and, in some cases, only the prepuce. The second type is classified as excision. This is defined as the partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora. The third type is infibulation. This involves the narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner, or outer, labia, with or without removal of the clitoris. The adhesion of the labia results in the near complete covering of the urethra and vaginal orifice. This stitching must then be reopened for sexual intercourse and childbirth. The reversal process is called defibulation. The last category encompasses all other kinds of harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes. These include things such as pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area. The first and second types are the most common and account for over
FGM originated in Africa. It was, and remains, a cultural, not a religious practice. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is also known as female circumcision is performed on young women before they reach puberty. There are three types of FGM practiced. One is Sunna circumcision in which the tip of the clitoris and/or its covering (prepuce) are removed, Clitoridectomy where the entire clitoris, the prepuce and adjacent labia are removed, and Infibulation (a.k.a. Pharaonic circumcision) which is a clitoridectomy followed by sewing up of the vulva. Only a small opening is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass. In all types of FGM, the vagina is sown up until the female is ready to have sexual intercourse