Fgm is prevalent in about 28 african countries and among a few minority groups in asia. Regarding male and female circumcision associated with prevalent hiv infection in virgins and adolescents in kenya, lesotho, and tanzania. Activists now hope the country will be the first in the world to ban infant male circumcision. Legal prohibitions worldwide prevalence of fgm it is estimated that about 100140 million women worldwide have undergone fgm, with an additional three million girls and women undergoing the procedure every year. Dec 16, 2001 canada, denmark, the netherlands, and the united states has declared female genital mutilation grounds for seeking asylum and is a punishable offense 1. For similar reasons, nahid toubia and anika rahman, editors of female genital mutilation, use fc as well as fgm. Bill banning circumcision in denmark now likely the forward. Denmark has a circumcision rate which has been stable for the last fifty years amongst male children at about 2%. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. The danish parliament is to consider whether to become the first country to ban boys being circumcised after a petition forced lawmakers to debate the issue. While anthropologists disagree as to the definitive origins of circumcision, the earliest hard evidence comes from the first ancient egyptian mummies of considerable vintage, around. Female genital circumcision female genital circumcision fgc is a cultural ritual that is 2800 words 12 pages. In circumcision war, stats bury intactivist stance. Denmarks circumcision registry to be deleted the local.
Intactivists on track to force bill banning circumcision in denmark february 20, 2018. Female genital cutting and coming of age in guinea book. Following extensive media coverage in both 2012 and 20, the danish health and medicines authority sundhedsstyrelsen carried out a study on the potential health risks and benefits of circumcision. A bill introduced in the swedish parliament would ban the nonmedical circumcision of males younger than 18. It focuses on caring for both physical and mental needs of the vulnerable or suffering and maintains an understanding, holistic and objective approach to the current situation. The european meetings started with the first study conference on female genital mutilation in london 1992, resulting in the london declaration on the grave physic and psychological consequences of female circumcision and a call for eradication of this harmful tradition.
Laws regarding female circumcision were adopted in sweden in 1982, in norway in 1986 and in denmark in 2003. Denmark to once again look at circumcision ban the local. My understanding is that most health insurances stopped covering it after 1999 when aap in its previous statement on circumcision stated that its not. Cohort study on circumcision of newborn boys and subsequent risk of urinarytract infection.
Holt, an author of pediatric textbooks, advocated male and female circumcision as a treatment for masturbation. The rape of innocence one womans story of female genital mutilation in the usa aesculapius press p o box 256 eugene, or 97440. Weibliche genitalverstummelung im sudan female genital mutilation. Health care in europe for women with genital mutilation article pdf available in health care for women international 274. Margaret somerville is the first academic ethicist to question the ethics of neonatal circumcision. Ohara k, ohara j 1999 the effect of male circumcision on the sexual enjoyment of the female partner. The book was published in 1999 and has got many positive reactions. Risk factors and association with prophylactic antimicrobials. An odyssey into female genital circumcision in africa on p. Firdauss new sense of loss suggests that, beyond the act of mutilating a girls body, one of the great cruelties of female circumcision is that it takes sexual pleasure away from the individual long before she can understand what this feeling is.
Full text female genital mutilation and male circumcision. A guide to laws and policies worldwide, edited by anika. Fgm is illegal in many developed countries, is punishable by lengthy. Changing tradition a danish approach to female genital. Part iii looks at the medical facts and statistical instances of male genital alteration, with an analysis of medical arguments for and against the practice. Vanguard publications 1997 isbn 0964489538 buy this book. Salman rushdie has an important message for this new member of the. When in the dutch parliament, she proposed obligatory annual medical checks for all uncircumcised girls living in the netherlands who. Female genital circumcision female genital circumcision fgc is a cultural ritual that is performed to the vast majority of women within the countries of sudan, kenya, mali, benin, togo, and parts of the middle east. One 1999 case, re j childs religious upbringing and circumcision said that circumcision in britain required the consent of all those with parental responsibility however this comment was not part of the reason for the judgement and therefore is not legally binding, or the permission of the court, acting for the best interests of the. As the myth that circumcision prevented masturbation became debunked, advocates of circumcision began the great search to find the medical benefits of circumcision. For healthcare, seek a qualified medical professional who is knowledgeable on the benefits of a whole body and intact care and who knows the harms involved in circumcision and forced retraction.
A sociolegal examination other bibliographies cite. Female genital mutilation fgm frequently asked questions unfpa. The regional institute female genital mutilation as a. Towards the eradication of female genital mutilation in egypt. Male circumcision has long been used for religious and cultural reasons to provide and reinforce group identity. Circumcision may be used to treat pathological phimosis, refractory balanoposthitis and chronic or recurrent urinary tract infections utis. These are the sources and citations used to research fgm. Pdf female genital mutilation a study of health services and.
August 29, 2012 by sean mullin 51 comments whether childhood circumcision is acceptable or not is an ethical question, not a medical one. It created great awareness in the medias in uk on female circumcision. Part iv explores the meanings of male and female genital alteration, including religious, cultural, social and economic motivations. How to deal with female circumcision as a health issue in the nordic. Two lawmakers from the rightist sweden democrats party, noting that female genital.
According to the world health organization, it comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. The who promotes circumcision to prevent female tomale hiv transmission in countries with high rates of hiv. Male and female circumcision involves the removal and disruption of normal anatomical structures that are primary areas of sexual sensation. Her book has a chapter on circumcision called altering baby boys bodies. Female genital mutilation fgm refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons.
In 1999, the national board of health in denmark published a reference book for local governments and. A survey of women who have had sexual experience with circumcised and anatomically complete partners showed that the anatomically complete penis was preferred over the circumcised penis. Why did men in the male circumcision group receive additional counselling on safe sex practices. This unique book will assist those who care for women and girls who have had, or are at risk of having female genital mutilation. Genital mutilation of girls and women psychology today. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Female circumcision was criminalised in denmark eleven years ago. List of books and articles about circumcision online. An early british opponent of circumcision was herbert snow, who wrote a short book called the barbarity of circumcision as a remedy for congenital abnormality in 1890.
Visit the choosing a pediatrician page for assistance in picking a doctor who is right for your family. There are more than 3 million girls at risk of forced. Female genital cutting studied within the context of cultural relativism rachelle cassman i. Lightfootklein, hanny, a womans obyssey into africa. Does sexual function survey in denmark offer any support for male. Many of us never heard of female genital mutilation until the story of kauziya kasinga, a woman from west africa. Circumcising cultures may circumcise their males either shortly after birth, during childhood or around puberty as part of a rite of passage. Female genital mutilation is a tradition and a health problem in at least 28 african countries. In recent years, increasing recognition of the human rights of women and children has brought additional calls for the practice to be stopped. The reasons given for female circumcision in africa and for routine male circumcision in the u. Among academic researchers, circumcision of girls is often labelled female genital cutting fgc or female circumcision, but the term is usually designated as female genital mutilation fgm among activists and legislative documents in western countries and the world health organization who. Circumcision is most prevalent in the muslim world, israel, the united states, the philippines, south korea, africa, and is commonly practised in the jewish and islamic faiths. Publications pertaining to female circumcision and other. The effect of male circumcision on the sexual enjoyment of the female partner.
Less commonly, circumcision is sometimes done for healthrelated reasons. It contains colour plates, illustrations, photos and graphs. It is estimated that between 100 million and 140 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to fgc female genital circumcision. Books about infant circumcision and the campaign against it. The act of tattooing is also considered a form of selfmutilation according to some cultural traditions, such as within christianity. Studies indicate that, although neonatal circumcision offers some protection from penile cancer, circumcision at a later stage does not seem to confer. The above dashboard shows fgm prevalence in the 17 countries where the. Genital mutilation of girls and women ritual injury of female genitals usually goes way beyond male circumcision. The injustice of female genital mutilation essay 1542 words. Keeping this in mind, ellen gruenbaum in her book, the female circumcision controversy, uses the term female circumcision fc, despite the fact that circumcision for female genitalia trivializes the damage and scale of the practice. Oliver markus malloy, inside the mind of an introvert.
The book s pretty well balanced, though, and it does cover the arguments for circumcision some of which are not bad arguments as well as the arguments against, the connection to female circumcision its a believable one, and pretty much anything you would. Scandinavia fights female circumcision public radio. When we showed the book at international meetings we were asked if it could be translated into english as many of the countries lacked educational material. Health care in europe for women with genital mutilation 99. In circumcision war, stats bury intactivist stance the. Proceedings of the fourth international symposium on sexual mutilations, lausanne, switzerland, 1996. While the exact number of girls and women worldwide who have undergone fgm remains unknown, at least 200 million girls and women have. Circumcisionhiv claims are based on insufficient evidence an article endorsed by thirtytwo professionals questions the results of three highly publicized african circumcision studies. Having served variously as a mark of virility, servility and gentility, circumcision has throughout the centuries worn many symbolic hats. Why are there different terms to describe fgm, such as female genital cutting and female.
Danish politicians to consider banning circumcision of boys. Studies on circumcision circumcision resource center. Comments female circumcision and the girl child in africa and the middle east. Health care in europe for women with genital mutilation icrh. The comparison of global responses to male and female circumcision in this article sheds light on the cultural obstacles to global consensus on human rights as universal principles and underscores the difficulty of adopting neutral universalist rights claims devoid of cultural and ideological content. Fgm, circumcision, gender, sexuality, autonomy, consent. Lightfootklein, hanny, prisoners of ritual, an odyssey into female genital circumcision in africa. The studies claim that circumcision reduces hiv transmission, and they are being used to promote circumcisions. Female genital mutilation center for reproductive rights. Female genital mutilation wikipedia republished wiki 2. Conway ph, cnaan a, zaoutis t, henry bv, grundmeier rw, keren r.
She followed up with a chapter, the circumcision of girls, in her book the. Primer on genital cutting customs circumcision, bodily. Introduction to female circumcision prevalence and sociocultural characteristics health care needs of circumcised women medical and gynecological care obstetrical care of circumcised women health care needs of circumcised children and adolescents psychological and sociocultural considerations interacting with circumcised women. Full proceedings from the 4th through 11th international symposia may be purchased in bound book form from. Her father did not believe in polygamy, forced marriage, or female. Nevertheless, circumcision opponents note that the incidence of penile cancer is higher in the united states than in denmark 0. Circumcision and infibulation of women in africa, zed books. Male circumcision for specific medical indications clearly confers advantages. Imagine no heaven the six billionth person was born this week into a world still plagued by religious conflict and oppression.
This information has really been needed as very little was written in danish about female circumcision. Female genital mutilation fgm also called female genital cutting fgc or female circumcision is a public health problem the world over. Circumcision references j to r benefits of circumcision. The debate about circumcision is a frequent topic in denmark. For example, only 511 out of approximately 478,000 danish boys aged 014 years were circumcised in 1986, corresponding to a cumulative national circumcision rate of around 1. These differences and preferences result in wide variation in circumcision rates among different geographic areas and in various groups. The practice also violates a persons rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death. Antibody to herpes simplex virus type 2 as a marker of sexual risk behavior in rural tanzania. However who promotes male circumcision in the areas it seeks to abolish female circumcision.
This includes, among others, female genital mutilation, the circumcision of boys for religious reasons, early childhood medical interventions in the case of intersex children council of europe parliamentary assembly. This practical guide is adapted from a book entitled female genital. The practice is found in africa, asia and the middle east, and within communities from countries in which fgm is common. Australia bangladesh canada china denmark egypt france. Female genital mutilation fgm, sometimes referred to as female circumcision fc or. Proceedings of international symposia on genital integrity. Socalled female circumcision, in the form of excision of the labia minora and clitoris clitoridectomy aimed at destroying sexual sensation, is known in islam although it is a cultural, not a religious practice and in certain societies of africa, south america, and elsewhere.
Forward female genital mutilation information pack equation. Surgical guide to circumcision is a fully illustrated, stepbystep guide to the most common techniques of circumcision and addresses aspects such as informed consent, religious and cultural sensitivities, preexam, postcare, pain control, and prevention and management of potential complications. Pdf health care in europe for women with genital mutilation. The practice of circumcision has ancient origins, and continues today around the world for various religious and cultural reasons. Changing tradition a danish approach to female genital mutilation european institute for gender equality. Both falsely tout the positive health benefits of the procedures. The term female circumcision has been rejected by international medical practitioners because it. When did people first start cutting the foreskins off penises. This book is intended primarily to document the medical and health facts about female genital mutilation together with related information as. Why are so many americans for male circumcision but against female circumcision. Nov 22, 2017 check out selected results from nypl title quest 2019, held august 2, 2019, as well as title quest 2018 this is an update of a previous post by sharon rickson it can be tough to remember the title and author of a book you read a long time agoeven if it was a book that was really important to you.
Circumcision books research circumcision circumcision. Finding a book when youve forgotten its title the new york. While the absolute reduction associated with male circumcision across the three female tomale trials was only about 1. Due to the large number of case reports and other publications on circumcision complications, this page can only provide a representative selection of citations. Underlying issues affecting success in the elimination of female circumcision. When in the dutch parliament, she proposed obligatory annual medical checks for all uncircumcised girls living in the netherlands who came from countries where fgm is practised. Obasi a, mosha f, quigley m, sekirassa z, gibbs t, munguti k, todd j, grosskurth h, mayaud p, changalucha j, brown d, mabey d, hayes r.
By the time a circumcised woman understands what has been done to her body, it is far too late. Review of the practice of female genital mutilation in nigeria. Female genital mutilation fgm, also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. After reading his book, one cannot continue to belittle male circumcision as a poor cousin to female circumcision. Male circumcision is defined as the partial or total surgical removal of the foreskin also called prepuce, which is specialized tissue that covers the head or glans of the penis. The circumcision decision is an unbiased and thoughtful exploration of the important question of whether to have a son circumcised or left intact. According to the world health organisation who about 50 percent of nigerias female population is. Copenhagen at a time where antisemitic acts seem to be on the rise in europe, a bill was proposed in denmark that will affect mainly jews the banning of male child circumcision. Methods a casecontrol study was conducted on a convenient sample of 272 circumcised women with their 272 control from 4 randomly selected primary health care centers.
Female genital mutilation fgm, also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision. An unbiased guide for parents terkel, susan, greenberg, lorna on. Gollaher strips away any medical justification for circumcision leaving it, as some claim, a form of legalized criminal assult on newborn babies. Female genital mutilation, traditionally known as female circumcision, is a surgically unnecessary modification of the female genitalia, practiced in nations in africa, the arab peninsula, among. A survey was designed by ohara and ohara to determine the effect of male circumcision on a womans ability to reach both single and multiple vaginal orgasms published in bjui in 1999, some of the findings were as follows. The effect of male circumcision on the sexual enjoyment of the female. In her 1999 book sex and social justice, martha nussbaum neatly states one major reason. A joint statement released by the united nations and numerous other international bodies opposes female circumcision as a form of mutilation. This bibliography was generated on cite this for me on thursday, april 9, 2015. Doctors opposing circumcision unequivocally believes the answer to this question is no.