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A S S O C I A T I O N for G E N I T A L I N T E G R I T Y
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NEWS
New York baby dies after circumcision
More than 30 dead, 6,000 hospitalized since 1995 in South Africa
FEMALE CIRCUMCISION
Also known as
female genital cutting (FGC)
or
female genital mutilation (FGM)
Female circumcision encompasses a wide range of procedures, ranging in severity from a nick on the clitoral hood to cutting off all the external genitals and sewing up the vaginal opening. The acknowledged authority on female circumcision, the World Health Organization (WHO), recognizes four types of female circumcision:
| TYPE I |
Excision of the prepuce with or without excision of part or all of the clitoris. |
| TYPE II |
Excision of the prepuce and clitoris together with partial or total excision of the labia minora. |
|
TYPE III |
Excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of the vaginal opening (infibulation). |
| TYPE IV |
Unclassified: includes pricking, piercing or incision of clitoris and/or labia; stretching of clitoris and/or labia; cauterization by burning of clitoris and surrounding tissues; scraping (angurya cuts) of the vaginal orifice or cutting (gishiri cuts) of the vagina; introduction of corrosive substances into the vagina to cause bleeding or herbs into the vagina with the aim of tightening or narrowing the vagina; any other procedure which falls under the definition of FGM given above. [Read more...] |
From the above, it is evident that some types of female circumcision are comparable to, or less severe than male circumcision.
Female circumcision was an accepted medical procedure in the United States until relatively recent times. Click on links below:
- Female Circumcision, Indications and a New Technique
W. G. Rathmann, MD
Inglewood, California
September, 1959
Dr. Rathmann writes: "The value of this procedure [female circumcision] in improving function has been recognized by various cultures for the past 3,500 years."
- Circumcision of the Female
C. F. McDonald, MD
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
September, 1958
Dr. McDonald writes: "If the male needs circumcision for cleanliness and hygiene, why not the female?"
Any form of female circumcision, no matter how minor, is now a criminal offense in the United States. The US medical establishment may have developed a sudden case of amnesia regarding this episode in American medical history; references to the benefits of female circumcision are not found in current US medical literature.
Meanwhile, in Egypt, a recent survey showed that fewer than half of MEDICAL STUDENTS in that country were aware that female circumcision could cause hemorrhage and infection. Nearly a quarter of medical students thought the practice should be continued. According to the World Health Organization and Amnesty International, about 90% of Egyptian girls are circumcised.
In Singapore, female circumcision is a token operation performed by female doctors. [Read more...]
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