Female Circumcision

Often used synonymously with the terms female genital cutting or female genital mutilation, female circumcision refers to the removal of any part of the female external genitalia for a nonmedical purpose. The United Nations and the World Health Organization prefer the term genital mutilation to emphasize the often negative health and sexual consequences for women who have undergone the procedure, as well as to draw a clear distinction between removal of female genitalia from removal of the male foreskin, a procedure which carries fewer negative health consequences.

Female circumcision is a blanket term that refers to many related but distinct practices. Most involve removing at least some genital tissue, although in some instances, the ritual is symbolically simulated with a knife or needle but no tissue is removed. A clitoridotomy involves the removal or splitting of the clitoral hood; cliteridectomy means the partial or complete removal of the external part of the clitoris; and infibulation replaces the entire vulva with an intact layer of flesh from pubis to the anus, apart from a small hole for urine and menstrual blood. The labia are sewn together following excision and will heal as scar tissue. The opening is cut prior to childbirth and then resewn.

Although performed by trained medical personnel in some locales, female circumcision is often performed without anesthesia and using nonsterile equipment, which can cause a great deal of bleeding and pain. Girls and women are prone to infection following the procedure, following sexual intercourse, and following childbirth. Infibulation can also cause infections due to blocked passage of urine or menstrual blood, sometimes leading to infertility.

Female circumcision is often justified by citing religious texts or cultural norms, and is often carried out by females on their own younger relatives. Most human rights organizations deplore any form of female genital alteration, especially as it is often performed on girls too young to give consent, most commonly when they are aged between 4 and 8. Although the practice was legal in the United States until 1996, it is now illegal although still practiced clandestinely among some immigrant groups. Female genital alteration is still common in many countries, especially in the Middle East and Africa, where rates can exceed 95 percent. Views among people living in these countries are naturally quite variable, although a small but growing number of people are rejecting the practice for their own children.