Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures involving
partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs
for non-medical reasons as defined by the World Health Organization.
What are the lasting affects of FGM?
Short-Term Complications: Risk of traumatic bleeding and infection (including wound infection, septicaemia, gangrene and tetanus), as well
as incomplete healing, and infection to adjacent organs.
Long-Term Complications: The three main life-affecting complications can be divided into three main categories; (1)Gynaecological, (2)Obstetric, (3) Psychological (including sexual function).
Long term gynaecological concerns that have been linked to
FGM include infection, scarring and keloid, menstrual difficulties,
urinary symptoms and infertility. FGM has been implicated in long term infections including
chronic genital abscesses, vaginal infections and blood borne infections such as Hepatitis B and HIV. A
study of 28 000 women with FGM across 6 African countries found
that FGM increased the risks of prolonged labour, postpartum
haemorrhage, perineal trauma and Caesarean section. There is increasing evidence that FGM damages sexual function
and this would seem logical given the removal of sexually sensitive tissue such as the clitoris.
Which continent has the highest rate of countries that still practice FGM?
FGM is the most prodominant in Africa. Female genital mutilation has been documented in 30 countries, mainly in Africa, as well as in the Middle East and Asia.
What are 3 main countries that have a large populus practing FGM?
Three big countries in Africa that have a large populus practing FGM are:
KENYASOMALIAGUINEA
When was FGM outlawed in the United States?
As of June 2019, 33 states have passed legislation that make FGM illegal to perform on anyone. However, federal law (The Female Genital Mutalation Act of 1996) currently only
prohibits FGM on those under 18. On November 20, 2018, Federal Judge Barnard A. Friedman ruled the Female Genital Mutilation Act 1996 unconstitutional because it exceeds the enumerated powers of Congress
and cannot be justified by the commerce clause. The Department of Justice decided not to appeal the ruling, but the US House of Representatives has appealed it. Meaning the only federal legislation against FGM
in the United States is currently in a very grey area. Though FGM is not seemed to be socially acceptable amongst most cultures in the U.S., it is still not federally outlawed to this day.
Sources:
World Health Organization. "Female genital mutilation (FGM)." World Health Organization. 01 June 2016.
World Health Organization. 01 Aug. 2019 <https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/prevalence/en/>.
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