Female Circumcision Female Genital Mutilation

Read an article today in the newspaper about Female circumcision in Western countries being performed illegally and in secret by trained medical personnel.

I had only heard 'bits' before and never really fully understand what it was.
This is why I create this thread, to bring awareness to it because its not that well published.

Honestly, if this is what that particular culture believes in then that is what they do albeit it causes trouble for some of the women as they brand it mutilation and yet many circumcised women see that as insulting and are proud of it.

If the West is so against this then they should also be against the circumcision of boys at birth which they don't seem to have a problem with! :s Part of the boy has gone forever without his consent yet its seen as normal in society with Jewish and Muslim cultures tending to practice this frequently.

Is it more shocking now we learn about females being circumcised, as we in the West are not exposed to it.

Excellent medical discussion Female “Circumcision” with the PDF download http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1497147/pdf/jgi_88.pdf

What does it look like?

Nevermind

There are three basic types of genital excision, although practices vary widely. In the first type, clitoridectomy, part or all of the clitoris is amputated, while in the second (often referred to as excision), both the clitoris and the labia minora are removed. Infibulation, the third type, is the most severe: After excision of the clitoris and the labia minora, the labia majora are cut or scraped away to create raw surfaces, which are held in contact until they heal, either by stitching the edges of the wound or by tying the legs together. As the wounds heal, scar tissue joins the labia and covers the urethra and most of the vaginal orifice, leaving an opening that may be as small as a matchstick for the passage of urine and menstrual blood.9

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Consequences

In the conditions under which female circumcision is generally performed in Africa, even the less extensive types of genital cutting can lead to potentially fatal complications, such as hemorrhage, infection and shock. The inability to pass urine because of pain, swelling and inflammation following the operation may lead to urinary tract infection. A woman may suffer from abscesses and pain from damaged nerve endings long after the initial wound has healed.

Infibulation is particularly likely to cause long-term health problems. Because the urethral opening is covered, repeated urinary tract infections are common, and stones may form in the urethra and bladder because of obstruction and infection. If the opening is very small, menstrual flow may be blocked, leading to reproductive tract infections and lowered fertility or sterility. One early study estimated that 20-25% of cases of sterility in northern Sudan can be linked to infibulation.11

Without deinfibulation before childbirth, obstructed labor may occur, causing life-threatening complications for both mother and infant. Because birthrates are high in many countries where infibulation is practiced, a woman's infibulation scar may be cut and resewn many times during her reproductive years.

In addition, the amputation of the clitoris and other sensitive tissue reduces a woman's ability to experience sexual pleasure. For infibulated women, the consummation of marriage is likely to be painful because of the small vaginal opening and the lack of elasticity in the scar tissue that forms it. Tearing and bleeding may occur, or the infibulation scar may have to be cut open to allow penetration.

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No, this practice is not at all the same as male circumcision which is a minor procedure usually without any health complications or reduced (to non-existent) sexual enjoyment. There is a chasm of difference between the two.

Edit: Sorry, something went wrong trying to edit my previous post, can't do it somehow. Thus the double post.



What's the same about removing a little bit of skin leaving the entire penis penis and head of the penis intact, and basically cutting off the woman's primary and for some only organ of deriving sexual pleasure?

The second reason why this is completely different is the social/cultural purpose of the procedure.
It is done with the same purpose in mind as the burka, it is to keep women from seducing or drawing the attention of other men and is thus a device of complete control and repression of women. Total domination and control of female sexual power.

Now to the argument of the women born in that culture accepting and defending this practice.
This makes these issues very difficult and makes it virtually impossible to forcibly change the culture from the outside. Change must occur mostly from the inside.
A woman having grown up in a culture, a family and a religion that have indoctrinated her with their values and beliefs (like all cultures do, some more repressive cultures just a bit more intensely) she cannot be expected to rebel against that culture that exercises complete hegemonic control, she is an integral part of it.
This does not mean that the practice should not be frowned upon by us.
Do we not condemn a lot of practices that would've been considered completely normal in our own culture in medieval times? Where is the difference here?
The problem is how to approach the issue.

I live in the Netherlands and here the debate about the wearing of burkas in public offices is hotly debated among other things (like the hamas butchering of animals) The clash between cultures and possible freedom of religious expression coming into conflict with cultural values is a very difficult issue to approach.

Agreed with polishedbrass.
The whole purpose of female "circumcision" is to prevent the women from enjoying sex.

I agree with the foreskin differences now you have made it clearer for me to understand. Yes it seems this female circumcision is more for dominating the women then any other use. Deep rooted culturally as well. I was surprised to see over 90% of the women in Egypt are circumcised!

Male circumcision is just as bad as female. In fact, it may even be worse! A far greater amount of tissue is removed from the male than from the female.

They basically go back to the same desire, to remove "opposite" aspects from the genitalia and make them seem more pure. A foreskin is kind of like a vagina, whereas a clitoris is kind of like a dick. Almost all cultures that do female circumcision, also do male circumcision.

It may be in some way about dominating women, but don't forget that in these cultures, women circumcise little girls, to make them just like themselves, just as the men do it do little boys. Time to end this barbaric practice once and for all!

Wonder where they are sending all those clits they are cutting off??? I can make a mean clam chowder

Bwahahahahah!!! That's a great one. Those little bits of clam in clam chowder are alot like boilted little hacked off clits....

gishdu;481288 said:

Bwahahahahah!!! That's a great one. Those little bits of clam in clam chowder are alot like boilted little hacked off clits....

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Asian Clit-Chowder

Something to consider is that a number of women who've been circumcised do not think they have been mutilated! I think this is rather important, in that many see it as part of the culture and roots to where they come from.

I read that if it was white girls being treated like this more would be done and the reason nothing is done now is because they are black and we (the west) are essentially racist!

She (Waris Dirie) makes it a race issue, when its not. Its like the women who want to wear the Burka and to me I see no problem with that if its her FREE WILL ... so what? its not for others to argue against it for its part of the culture to some degree albeit not necessary, they choose it to be party to them.

So back to this female circumcision. Yes its horrific, nasty and takes away the sexual feeling from the women with some degree depending on how you look at it being in the hands of men rather then liberated women but its the culture they come from in parts of Africa, its not tolerated, allowed, or legal in the West.

I'll quote Waris Dirie for part of my above post.

Waris Dirie, a model who campaigns against FGM, said: 'If a white girl is abused, police break down the door. If a black girl is mutilated, no one takes care of her.'

I feel it has nothing to do with color whatsoever and is an example of this race shit trying to make itself more about the issue then the issue itself. Egyptians are not black, yet 90% of the women are circumcised.

Female genital mutilation 'offered by UK medics'

It is a nasty practice, and has no place in Western society, but, if some parts of the world are happy with it being part of the culture they are raised with, then, that is the choice they make, and who is the West to keep sticking its nose in?

Sure, noses need sticking in, when female mutilation is being carried out in countries where it is illegal.

Just Ban all Mutilation until Age 16.

DLD said:

Wonder where they are sending all those clits they are cutting off??? I can make a mean clam chowder

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Hahaha humans can consume almost everything

Getbiglonger7 said:

Hahaha humans can consume almost everything

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Lol ?

DLD said:

Lol ?

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Wonder if they were sold would they be expensive?lol

And who would buy them ? haha