Skip to page content | Text onlyGraphical version of this page

Tiscali Quicklinks. Please visit our Accessibility Page for a list of the Access Keys you can use to find your way around the site, skip directly to the main navigation, to the page content, or to more links within reference.



Main Navigation


 Home  
  Products  
  My Tiscali  
  Living  
  Money  
  Motoring  
  News  
  Play to Win  
  Shop  
  Sport  
  Travel  
  Video  
  Help 

Content Starts Here


female genital mutilation

encyclopaedia header
Encyclopaedia Search
Click a letter for the index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Or search the encyclopaedia:
 
 
 
all results tagged with the © symbol denotes content that is relevant to the national curriculum

Female Genital Mutilation


The partial or total removal of female external genitalia for cultural, religious, or other non-medical reasons. There are three types: Sunna, which involves cutting off the hood, and sometimes the tip, of the clitoris; clitoridectomy, the excision of the clitoris and removal of parts of the inner and outer labia; infibulation (most widely practised in Sudan and Somalia), the removal of the clitoris, the inner and outer labia, and the stitching of the scraped sides of the vulva across the vagina leaving a small hole to allow passage of urine and menstrual blood.

The procedure has often been compared to male circumcision. It is far more drastic, however. Most operations are performed under unhygienic conditions, without antiseptics or anaesthetics, and by non-medically trained personnel. Side effects can include haemorrhage, shock, painful scars, septicaemia, chronic urinary infection, clitoral cysts, transmission of the HIV virus, and death. Infibulation can lead to problems in later life, especially during menstruation, sexual intercourse, and childbirth.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is practised across Muslim Africa between Senegal and Somalia, as well as in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, and among Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia. In 1995 an Egyptian government report estimated that 97% of married or formerly married women in Egypt have been circumcised. In countries where FGM is common, it is also performed by Christians, Jews, and by various indigenous groups. Uncircumcised women in these countries are considered ‘unclean’ and often have difficulty finding marriage partners. Muslim immigrants also occasionally perform it in the USA and the UK. In 1997 there were over 114 million women and girls worldwide who had undergone FGM.

© Research Machines plc 2008. All rights reserved. Helicon Publishing is a division of Research Machines plc.


 
 

Advertisement starts



Advertisement ends


United Kingdom Flag
United Kingdom Flag The white saltire comes from the flag of Scotland. The St Patrick's Cross was, in fact, taken from the arms of the powerful Geraldine family. The red cross of St George is taken from the flag of England. Effective date: 1 January 1801. >>

Advertorial

AdvertorialFind out how to buy the things you've always wanted and sell the things you don't on ebay.

Advertisement starts



Advertisement ends

Page Footer


Access keys


You will need to use different key combinations in order to use access keys depending on your internet browser, find out which on our accessibility page.
  • (0) Navigate to Accessibility page.
  • (1) Navigate to Home page.
  • (2) Navigate to My email.
  • (3) Navigate to My Account.
  • (4) Navigate to Site Map page.
  • (5) Navigate to Contact us page.
  • (6) Navigate to Members channel.
  • (7) Navigate to Services channel.
  • (8) Navigate to News & Info channel.
  • (9) Navigate to Entertainment channel.
  • ([) Skip down to the Primary navigation block.
  • (]) Skip down to the more links within this section block.
  • (=) Bypass all navigation and jump to the content.
  • (x) Text only version of this page.
Background images used:
furniture images used in the site icons used in the site images used in the header