Female genital mutilation

August 13, 2008, 6:15 AM

Okay, a warning: this subject can be a bit graphic, so if you are easily disturbed (I'm betting most of you are not), don't read.

How does everyone here feel about female genital mutilation (FGM)? I'm not talking about genital piercings, of course, but the practice that is carried out on young girls mainly in Africa. There are many forms of FGM, almost all involving the removal of the clitoris, and some involving the removal of the labia minora and the labia majora. Extreme forms of FGM involve the removal of all external genitalia. This procedure is not performed in a hospital, nor is it done with sterilized equipment. However, in many places, it is a common procedure-- it is both a cultural and religious tradition. My question is: is the World Health Organization right to try and stop this practice? Is it ethnocentric of them? I have actually heard arguments for and against this practice, and I'm interested in seeing what people think.

August 13, 2008, 10:38 AM

I think it's absolutely disgusting. It somehow "purifies" and preserves women's honour? How does denying sexual pleasure and inflicting great pain achieve that?
It's not fair to women, and the practise should be abolished. Yet again, we're talking about something that is carried out where men believe that raping young women will cure AIDS.

August 13, 2008, 11:05 AM

I think that if these women are willing for it to be done to them because they believe that it is a good thing and that it will benefit them, then they should be allowed to do it. However, if women are being forced into doing it then that's not right at all, in fact, that's sick, and it should be stopped as soon as possible.

Is this procedure never performed in a hospital? Do they never use sterilised equipment?

August 13, 2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casanova

I think that if these women are willing for it to be done to them because they believe that it is a good thing and that it will benefit them, then they should be allowed to do it.

That's the point though. It is their culture/religion to do so. Their religion and culture is based on what men wanted. Over time these things became part of their culture, so they're doing what is demanded of them by men, and not their free will, if you see what I mean.
But no, I don't think the WHO should get involved, AIDS in Africa is IMO much more important. I also don't think they can morally say your culture is wrong. I think that we should allow it but hope that it goes away. A containment-esque policy I suppose.

August 13, 2008, 12:27 PM

I'm normally very tolerant of what other people want to do with their lives but, to be honest, I have no time for such acts of inhumanity. It doesn't matter to me that their religion tells them to do so - that just indicates to me that the religion in question needs an overhaul. I tend to be quite against being dictated to by a religion and so when I hear of inhumane mutilation for the sake of purity, or whatever it is, then I'm all for invervention by the WHO. However, I can't imagine how invervention would be accomplished without being completely ignorant to other people's wishes. I do suppose that, so long as this is not being enforced and is an optional decision, then they'd surely know all about the procedure before undertaking it. It'd be like preventing circumcisions ... though, to be fair, they're carried out in a much better way.

Come to think of it, I'm neutral.

August 13, 2008, 8:34 PM

Genital mutilation is wrong. If it was infected or something, it still wouldn't be right. I mean, would women, or men for that matter, have genitals at all if we didn't need them? If it's their religion, convert them. Culture, can't really help that. Still wrong.

August 13, 2008, 9:34 PM

It seems wrong to me. Thier are no real medical reasons to inflict (FGC/M) on someone. And the religeons that support it arn't true religeons anyway. A religeon is only good it it brings peiople together what part of cutting up a girls genitals brings people together.

August 14, 2008, 2:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erythritol

Okay, a warning: this subject can be a bit graphic, so if you are easily disturbed (I'm betting most of you are not), don't read.

How does everyone here feel about female genital mutilation (FGM)? I'm not talking about genital piercings, of course, but the practice that is carried out on young girls mainly in Africa. There are many forms of FGM, almost all involving the removal of the clitoris, and some involving the removal of the labia minora and the labia majora. Extreme forms of FGM involve the removal of all external genitalia. This procedure is not performed in a hospital, nor is it done with sterilized equipment. However, in many places, it is a common procedure-- it is both a cultural and religious tradition. My question is: is the World Health Organization right to try and stop this practice? Is it ethnocentric of them? I have actually heard arguments for and against this practice, and I'm interested in seeing what people think.

Hi Eryth, heres my opinion on this.

This subject is very touchy, but to me theres no right answer, as both sides present good arguments.

In America alot of girls lose their virginity when their teenagers, and most of the time get pregnant in the process, and this puts stress on their lives. Girls who go through FGM are less likely to have this problem, but also I've read that they:

A. Do Not Enjoy Sex
B. Their Partner + The Woman Do not enjoy sex
C. Leads to psychological problems

Im glad you brought up this issue, because I saw it today on Law and Order . Now I'm not in favor or against this idea, because well it does have some positives + negatives, surely if I have a daughter, I dont want her to get pregnant while she is a teenager, but I dont want her to be miserable either. As far as whether its right or wrong, I can't say for sure, I've never dealt with anyone whos undergone FGM, but I've met plenty of pregnant teens, and its very sad. So yeah...its not up to me to judge that. All I can say is custom is custom.

- Kuja

August 18, 2008, 4:54 AM

I cry when I hear/read about it. Its just sick and wrong and inhumane, thats all I have to say about it.

As for people who do it willingly, as body modifiction... That's really bizzarre..

August 18, 2008, 6:36 AM

I would say either way there's a problem.

If they're doing this willingly, that represents a problem in its own, and if they're being forced to do it, there's an obvious problem there too.

I, personally am against these acts.