Genital modification and mutilation

stepping forward as an important ethical debate in the national arena did not happen until recently. Female circumcision can be defined as the removal of a portion, or all of, the external female genitalia, specifically the clitoris. In the Americas, the law deems the procedure illegal. It is viewed as unnecessary, wrong, and cruel, but for many African cultures the procedure is deeply rooted in the nations’ cultures and traditions as a rite of passage into adulthood. All sides call the issue black and white, but what if the tradition of female circumcision, also known as female genital mutilation, falls in an unseen area of gray? Can both be correct? Female circumcision can be looked at from several angles, including: its health and medical outcomes, its relation to…

It is horrifying to see what these women and young girls have had to endure when going through a female circumcision. In a few videos, articles and books I have read it explains that most of these girls have to be held down against their will to have this procedure done. What is female genital mutilation; also called female circumcision? It refers to a procedure that intentionally changes or causes injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. There are many reasons FGM is…

The documentary film “Razor’s Edge: The Controversy of Female Genital Mutilation” is about the challenges facing female genital mutilation across sub-Saharan African affecting millions of women and girls leaving behind medical, social, and psychological trauma (Integrated Regional Information Networks [IRIN], 2015). According to the documentary film, approximately 2 million girls in Africa will experience some form of circumcision every year (IRIN, 2005). Female circumcision is commonly…

Female Genital Mutilation or also known Female Circumcision began in order to control a women’s sexuality. In certain societies, family marry their daughters off at a young age in order to escape poverty. Many young girls are pulled out of school to be a full-time wife and mother to children at a very young age. The practice was performed around the world usually by older men and women on young girls and women under the age of 15 or before they get their first period. The main purpose of this…

Committee on Bioethics (1998). Female genital mutilation. American Academy of Pediatrics, 102(1), 153-156. In the article, the authors talk about the practice of Female Genital Mutilation, its origins, which Countries, societies, groups and individuals who perform FGM. The authors write about the three different types of genital cutting and briefly describe the severe conditions of each. In this article there is also an extensive discussion of health risks associated with each type of female…

Female Genital Mutilation today ranks as a rather controversial topic in many countries around the world. There are several factors when it comes to actually dealing with the process. Such as what exactly FGM is. Along with understanding the procedure the reasons for it being done. Including where it is conducted throughout the world. Yet to understand the procedure the future of it must be understood as well. Female Genital Mutilation is a procedure which involves nicking, cutting, and/or…

1. Based on the article Being Victims or Beneficiaries? Perspectives on Female Genital Cutting and Reinfibulation in Sudan, and the movie we saw in class Desert Flower, were you aware that this was still happening in the world? Why is FGM (female genital mutilation, circumcision) practiced in Somalia according to the film? What are the consequences of these practices? Has anything been done to change this? What can be done in order to change these customs? Before I had read the article and…

The controversial topic of female circumcision or rather female genital mutilation appears to be accepted by some cultures yet through analysis and the point of view of absolutism reveals that this practice is unethical. Female circumcision is defined as the action or traditional practice of cutting off the clitoris and sometimes the labia of girls or young women. Female genital mutilation refers to alteration of the external genitalia of girls without medical benefit which causes immediate and…

Reading the excerpt in our textbook about female circumcision and looking at this from a functionalist point of view, a functionalist could argue that female circumcision is necessary in order to insure that the female will remain a virgin until marriage. This belief is apparently based on the idea that removing the clitoris removes the woman's temptation to lose her virginity prior to marriage. Using analysis one could question if this is true. There are cultures that strictly enforce that a…

Introduction Female Mutilation also known as female circumcision and female genital cutting is a very popular practice in many countries in Africa and also known to be practiced in The Middle East and parts of Asia. Female genital cutting is a very popular practice in the non-western world and because this is relatively unknown in western culture, the thoughts on this practice are generally always negative in response to hearing it. The way it is done and most of the time forced upon these…