Difference between revisions of "Female genital mutilation"
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'''Female Genital Mutilation''' (FGM), sometimes referred to euphemistically as "female circumcision", refers to various forms of permanent and harmful operations performed on girls or women in some parts of the non-Christian world. | '''Female Genital Mutilation''' (FGM), sometimes referred to euphemistically as "female circumcision", refers to various forms of permanent and harmful operations performed on girls or women in some parts of the non-Christian world. | ||
| − | Female genital mutilation is extremely rare in the West, but is widely practised in parts of [[Asia]], the [[Middle East]], and East [[Africa]], especially where traditionalist and [[fundamentalist]] [[Islam]] predominates. The mutilation is usually carried out when the girl is | + | Female genital mutilation is extremely rare in the West, but is widely practised in parts of [[Asia]], the [[Middle East]], and East [[Africa]], especially where traditionalist and [[fundamentalist]] [[Islam]] predominates. The mutilation is usually carried out when the girl is prepubescent,<ref>[http://www.path.org/files/FGM-The-Facts.htm Female Genital Mutilation – The Wallace Global Fund]</ref> often forcibly and against her wishes. It can cause many potential genito-urinary complications, including infection, urinary incontinence, and increased risk of problems during future childbirth. |
==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 23:59, May 14, 2012
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), sometimes referred to euphemistically as "female circumcision", refers to various forms of permanent and harmful operations performed on girls or women in some parts of the non-Christian world.
Female genital mutilation is extremely rare in the West, but is widely practised in parts of Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, especially where traditionalist and fundamentalist Islam predominates. The mutilation is usually carried out when the girl is prepubescent,[1] often forcibly and against her wishes. It can cause many potential genito-urinary complications, including infection, urinary incontinence, and increased risk of problems during future childbirth.
References
World Health Organisation on Female Genital Mutilation
