What is Female Genital Mutilation?
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a general term used to describe a range of intentional damage done to healthy female genitalia. It can include circumcision, excision and infibulation. Excision and infibulation are the more common of the three. Circumcision may involve removing the head of the clitoris or it can be used to describe more extensive intervention.
Excision can involve the removal of the clitoris, prepuce and labia minora. Infibulation, also known as pharaonic circumcision, is a more drastic procedure, and may be carried out at any age up until marriage. It may involve the removal of the entire external genitalia. It is a particularly severe and damaging practice often undertaken without anaesthetic and in unhygienic conditions. It is often carried out by other female family members or a traditional ÒcircumciserÓ in the community. Afterwards, the vagina is stitched up, leaving a very small opening to allow passage of urine and menstrual discharge. It is left closed until marriage, at which time it is cut open to allow penetrative sex. This is usually painful for the woman due to scar tissue formation.
Mutilation is a culturally acceptable and very common practise in some parts of the world, with rates of 98% in Djibouti, Guinea and Somalia. Rates of up to 90% are found in Eritrea, Mali, Sierra Leone and Sudan, and 84% in Egypt. The reasons most commonly given for its being done include;
- Custom and tradition
- religious demands
- hygiene
- enhancement of fertility
- protection of virginity
- prevention of promiscuity
- increasing the husband's sexual pleasure
The immediate and short term physical effects of mutilation, depending upon the extent, can result in:
- severe pain
- haemorrhage
- infection
- septicaemia (blood poisoning)
- death
The longer term physical effects include difficulties with sexual, reproductive and general health.
The trauma both in the short and long term is highly likely to include major psychological damage, which may show itself in a variety of sexual problems, depression and behavioural disturbances.
The World Health Organisation has made it clear that FGM is an unacceptable practice which is damaging to women and that every effort should be made to discourage it.
In the United Kingdom, in immigrant communities from the countries where this is a common practice, it is estimated that as many as 3,000 to 4,000 new cases of mutilation of varying degrees may take place annually. The spread of asylum seekers throughout the country may increase the likelihood of mutilation becoming a local health issue which has to be considered.
The legal position
All female genital mutilation is illegal in the United Kingdom. If the procedure is arranged abroad and the child returned to the United Kingdom action is likely to be taken to ensure its future safety and that of other children in the family. De-infibulation – the reversal of the procedure – is not illegal, it is in fact to be encouraged in order to prevent ongoing and further health problems.
It is understood that members of a community who accept FGM believe they are acting in the best interests of the child and efforts require to be made to discourage the practise.
However, if it becomes clear that a child may be at risk of this being done then action must be undertaken to protect the child. This is likely to involve referral to Social Work Services who have a legal duty to intervene.
If you have undergone this practise and wish to have it reversed then your doctor will arrange the specialist care that this needs. Remember, it is not illegal to have this done and your doctor will be more than happy to assist in its reversal.
If you feel you need to protect someone from this being done to them, including yourself, you can speak to your doctor, a social worker or other health counsellor who will help you. Social pressure to have the mutilation done may be overwhelming and very difficult to resist. Use the support that is available to you to protect yourself and the children affected.
