ABSTRACT
Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM has been documented in at least 29 countries in Africa, where it is most prevalent, as well as in countries in Asia and the Middle East. The term ‘female genital mutilation’ has been used by the World Health Organization to describe the practice since 1991. The practice had been referred to as ‘female circumcision’, and the new terminology was chosen to differentiate FGM from male circumcision. UNICEF and the UN currently use the term ‘female genital mutilation/cutting’ which they feel reflects the practice’s violation of women’s and girls’ rights, but also allows respectful terminology to be used amongst practising communities. The World Health Organization recommends that defibulation should be offered to women as soon as possible, as it may reduce some of the complications of FGM.
