ABSTRACT
History The history of ritual genital surgery on women is not well known, but the practice of FGM dates back at least 2000 years.1,2 Herodotus mentions the custom specifically, informing us that Phoenicians, Hittites and Ethiopians, as well as the Egyptians, undertook the practice. Some authors believe that it was practised in ancient Egypt, as a sign of distinction among the aristocracy, and have reported that traces of infibulation can still be found on Egyptian mummies.3
