ABSTRACT
Female genitals have been a source of fascination and fear throughout history. Patriarchal control of women by suturing their genitals has occurred over thousands of years, and still these practices – female genital mutilation – continue in communities of many types around the world. The personal, social and economic damage inflicted by FGM is enormous, with probably around three million girls and women affected every year. FGM is therefore a public health epidemic of the highest order.
This chapter considers many aspects of FGM, from immediate and longer-term physical and psychological health impacts for those who undergo FGM and their families, to modes of treatment and prevention in traditional settings and in modern urban environments. Issues addressed include medicalization, the questions raised by male circumcision and the vocabularies employed in discussion of FGM. Comparisons of FGM with contemporary surgical practices, such as female genital cosmetic surgeries, and paediatric sex assignment and later disorders of sex development, are also explored from the perspectives of the individuals concerned, their families and contexts, and their clinicians. Finally, a central emphasis is placed on eradication; if people stopped doing it, FGM would stop. Public health initiatives and education are as essential as enforcement of the law.
