Dear Reader,

The clitoris, a very sensitive erectile organ, is the source of sexual pleasure for women (for more information, check out Where is the clitoris? in Alice's Sexuality archive). However, according to the Office of the Senior Coordinator for International Women's Issues of the U.S. Department of State, between 115 and 130 million women the world over have undergone procedures that "circumcised" their clitorises, permanently altering them, plus jeopardizing their health and negatively impacting the quality of their lives.

Female "circumcision" (FC), also known as female genital mutilation (FGM) or female genital cutting (FGC), is a centuries old cultural practice that still exists in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Southeastern Asia. Typically girls are "circumcised" between 4 and 12 years old. Each year about two million girls are at risk.

Reasons for female "circumcision" vary by region and culture:

• The practice serves as a rite of passage into womanhood.
• Some believe that non-"circumcised" women are not desirable for marriage.
• It is an attempt to safeguard virginity before marriage.
• The procedure can be a means to control women's sexual desire and keep them faithful.

Female "circumcision" involves various procedures that remove part or all of the clitoris. The following list was taken from The World Health Organization, Female Genital Mutilation Fact Sheet No. 241, June 2000:

• Type I — Clitoridectomy Removal of the prepuce (the hood of the clitoris), with or without all or part of the clitoris.
• Type II — Excision The clitoris is removed with partial or total excision of the labia minora (inner lips of the vulva).
• Type III — Infibulation
  Involves removal of all or part of the clitoris and the inner and outer lips (labia majora) of the vulva. The raw skin is then stitched together, leaving a tiny opening for urination and menstruation. The scar re-opens during childbirth and is re-stitched.
• Type IV
  Pricking, piercing, cutting, or stretching the clitoris and/or labia; burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissue; scraping or cutting the vagina; using corrosive substances in the vagina to cause bleeding; or, using herbs to narrow or tighten the vagina.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, RAINBO (Research, Action, and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women), and various other governmental and non-governmental organizations strongly believe that female "circumcision" is an unethical, unnecessary procedure that damages the physical and emotional health of girls and women. Negative complications arise as a result of the type of procedure, lack of training of the person performing the practice, unsanitary instruments and/or procedure, and unclean environments in which the "circumcision" takes place. Women experience severe pain, hemorrhaging, post-operative shock, and infections from instruments that are not disinfected. They can also have long-term consequences, including chronic infections of the bladder and vagina, painful menstruation, excessive scar tissue, and risk of HIV due to the sharing of unsterilized instruments.

Several countries where female "circumcision" is practiced have passed laws against it, and others have outreach programs aiming to eliminate the procedure. Since many people who practice various forms of female "circumcision" have immigrated to other countries throughout the world, Sweden, Great Britain, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and other countries have passed laws against the procedure.

To learn more about female "circumcision," refer to the following resources:

The Center for Reproductive Law and Policy
Offers many publications on female "circumcision," including Legislation on Female Genital Mutilation in the United States.

RAINBO
An international not-for-profit organization working to promote and protect the reproductive and sexual health and rights of women and girls.
915 Broadway, Suite 1109
New York, NY 10010
E-mail Rainbo at info@rainbo.org to receive an information packet

The World Health Organization

Alice

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