FGM is commonly performed by someone without any medical training; without the use of anaesthetic or antiseptic and by using sharp instruments such as razor blades or broken glass.
Although all forms of FGM are associated with increased risk of health complications, the risk is greater with more severe forms of FGM. Immediate complications of FGM can include: severe pain. excessive bleeding (haemorrhage)
Types of FGM
type 2 (excision) – removing part or all of the clitoris and the inner labia (the lips that surround the vagina), with or without removal of the labia majora (the larger outer lips) type 3 (infibulation) – narrowing the vaginal opening by creating a seal, formed by cutting and repositioning the labia.
Type IV is the mildest form and includes any form of other harm done to the genitalia by pricking, piercing, cutting, scraping, or burning. World Health Organization classification of female genital cutting. Type I, also known as clitoridectomy or sunna, involves removing part or all of the clitoris and/or the prepuce.
Results: The group of 137 women, affected by different types of FGM/C, reported orgasm in almost 86%, always 69.23%; 58 mutilated young women reported orgasm in 91.43%, always 8.57%; after defibulation 14 out of 15 infibulated women reported orgasm; the group of 57 infibulated women investigated with the FSFI ...
A clitoridectomy is often done to remove malignancy or necrosis of the clitoris. This is sometimes done along with a radical complete vulvectomy. Surgery may also become necessary due to therapeutic radiation treatments to the pelvic area. Removal of the clitoris may be due to malignancy or trauma.
Type 3 FGM/C may cause some girls and women to have painful menstrual periods. Some women are left with only a small opening for urinating and menstrual bleeding. They may not be able to pass all of their menstrual blood.
The practice is almost universal in Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, with levels above 90 per cent, while it affects no more than 1 per cent of girls and women in Cameroon and Uganda. However, FGM is a human rights issue that affects girls and women worldwide.
FGM is often referred to as female circumcision. This term implies a comparable practice to male circumcision. However, the degree of excision and trauma involved in FGM is generally much more extensive, including the actual removal of genital organs.
While most prevalent in Africa and the Middle East, FGM is a global problem and is also practiced in Asia and Latin America. Among immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand, female genital mutilation continues to persist.
FGM is commonly performed by someone without any medical training; without the use of anaesthetic or antiseptic and by using sharp instruments such as razor blades or broken glass.
Signs FGM might have taken place
Having difficulty walking, standing or sitting. Spending longer in the bathroom or toilet. Appearing quiet, anxious or depressed. Acting differently after an absence from school or college.
“In 90% of cases, it is something that can be reversed with surgery in an hour or an hour and a half,” says gynecologist and plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Bloodworth, who has treated several hundred cases over the past eight years in his Atlanta clinic.
Menstrual problems.
Obstruction of the vaginal opening may lead to painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), irregular menses and difficulty in passing menstrual blood, particularly among women with Type III FGM.
FGM is most often carried out on young girls aged between infancy and 15 years old. It is often referred to as 'cutting', 'female circumcision', 'initiation', 'Sunna' and 'infibulation'.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) can cause complications before and during pregnancy. It can make it more difficult to get pregnant and can sometimes cause complications during labour and birth.
Abstract. Female genital mutilation (FGM) or circumcision refers to the unnecessary procedure that damages or removes the external genitalia of females. It is mostly practiced in African countries and some Asian regions, particularly the Middle East, and is performed because of cultural, religious, and social reasons.
Benefit to women
Out of the 60 publications assessed, the evidence showed that female partners are at decreased risk of several diseases, including cervical cancer, cervical dysplasia, herpes simplex virus type 2, chlamydia, syphilis, and human papillomavirus.
There is no exact established region where FGM's origin is dated back to, however, scholars have proposed Ancient Egypt and Sudan. Others claim it originated from Ancient Rome, stating that FGM was implemented on the female slaves to prevent pregnancy and sexual relations.
FGM has been illegal in the United States since 1996 when Congress passed 18 U.S.C. 7 §§116.
This increase can be attributed to increases in total immigration. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report compiled with data from 2010-2013. The CDC report estimated 513,000 girls and women in the United States were either victims of FGM or at risk of FGM, with ⅓ under age 18.
Similarly to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), breast ironing is classified as physical abuse therefore professionals must make a referral to Children's Services (i.e. Integrated Front Door in West Sussex.
Medicalized defibulation is a surgical procedure constituting a partial undoing of infibulation—the most extreme form of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) [1].