~~|~~ Hands off! Female genital Mutilation

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is practiced in Africa in Islamic countries...
World Health Organization classification of female genital mutilation
Definition	Female genital mutilation comprises all procedures involving partial or total removal of the female external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons.
Type I	Excision of the prepuce, with or without excision of part or all of the clitoris (see Figure 2 below). Other terms used to describe Type I procedures include circumcision, ritualistic circumcision, sunna, clitoridectomy.
Type II	Excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora (see Figure 3) Other terms used to describe Type II procedures include clitoridectomy, sunna, excision and circumcision.
Type III	Excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of the vaginal opening (infibulation), (see Figure 4) Other terms used to describe Type III procedures include infibulation, Pharaonic circumcision and Somalian circumcision.
Type IV	Unclassified: includes pricking, piercing or incising of the clitoris and/or labia stretching of the clitoris and/or labia cauterisation by burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissue scraping of tissue surrounding the vaginal orifice (angurya cuts) or cutting of the vagina (gishiri cuts) *introduction of corrosive substances or herbs into the vagina to cause bleeding or for the purposes of tightening* or narrowing it and any other procedure which falls under the definition of female genital mutilation given above.**

Figure 1 Unaltered female genitalia	Figure 2 Area of tissue removed - Type I FGM
Figure 3.a Area of tissue removed - Type II FGM	Figure 3.b Appearance of Type II after suture
Figure 4.a Area of tissue removed - Type III FGM	Figure 4.b Appearance of Type III after suture
N.B.: These figures are examples only, considerable variations occur within FGM types. Source: Female genital Mutilation - Information for health professionals, formerly racog.edu.au/open/womensh/fgm/fgm.htm
"Female genital mutilation -- female circumcision, may be performed on girls ranging in from 1 week to puberty. Immediate physical complications include severe pain, shock, infection, bleeding, acute urinary infection, tetanus, and death. Long-term problems include chronic pain, difficulties with urination and menstruation, pelvic infection leading to infertility, and prolonged and obstructed labor during childbirth. Not surprisingly, FGM is outlawed in the USA and most Western countries." ~ British Medical Journal on Female Genital Mutilation August 1993
"In Iran, stoning a person to death is not against the law -- using the wrong stone is." ~ Amnesty International
FGM predates Christianity and Islam and does not pertain to any specific religion, yet today's Islamic societies are the primary setting of this human rights crime. The practice of mutilation is thought to have arisen out of ancient Egypt..
Click to link to the Video
Click to link to the Video
Appearance of Type III after suture - see Figure 4.c	Appearance of Type III after suture - see Figure 4.c
Appearance of Type III 15 days after suture. see Figure 4.c