THE EVIL NATURE OF FGM

http://www.mgf.uab.es/eng/fgm_c.html

FGM/C is mainly performed in 28 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and in parts of the Middle East and Asia (Yemen, Oman, and Northern Iraq, as well as parts of India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, among others). However, with the migratory movements, what once was local is now global: FGM/C is in Diaspora and it is found in Europe, Australia, United States of America, etc. where migrants bring along their cultures.

Where is FGM/C practiced?

FGM/C is mainly performed in 28 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and in parts of the Middle East and Asia (Yemen, Oman, and Northern Iraq, as well as parts of India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, among others). However, with the migratory movements, what once was local is now global: FGM/C is in Diaspora and it is found in Europe, Australia, United States of America, etc. where migrants bring along their cultures.

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What are the different types of FGM/C?

The World Health Organization classified FGM/C into four types, dependent on severity:

·         Type I: partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or prepuce (clitoridectomy);

·         Type II: partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (excision);

·         Type III: narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning the labia minora and/or the labia majora, with or without excision of the clitoris (infibulation);

·         Type IV: all other harmful procedures done to the female genitalia for nonmedical purposes (e.g., pricking, piercing, incising, scraping, dry sex and cauterization).

What are the consequences of FGM/C?

All types of FGM/C have consequences that undermine the health and well-being of newborns, girls, and women throughout their lives. The practice has a negative impact on child and maternal health, increasing the risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths.

·         Short-term complications

Severe pain, shock, haemorrhage, urine retention, infections such as tetanus or sepsis

·         Long-term complications

Chronic pain, recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, keloids, fibrosis, primary infertility, psychological sequela/trauma, HIV/AIDS