If you're wondering if this is true: It's not. A period is when the uterus lining sheds, something that happens when a person isn't pregnant, or hasn't gone through menopause. To get more technical, a cisgender woman owns a vulva, not a penis — so there's definitely no penis to “cut off.”
Different types of female genital cutting
Type I – clitoridectomy, or 'sunna'. The hood of skin that sits over the clitoris (prepuce) is removed. The clitoris may or may not be removed in part or in total. Type II – clitoridectomy, 'sunna' or excision and circumcision.
FGM is carried out for various cultural, religious and social reasons within families and communities in the mistaken belief that it will benefit the girl in some way (for example, as a preparation for marriage or to preserve her virginity). But there are no acceptable reasons that justify FGM.
A clitoridectomy is often done to remove malignancy or necrosis of the clitoris. This is sometimes done along with a radical complete vulvectomy. Surgery may also become necessary due to therapeutic radiation treatments to the pelvic area. Removal of the clitoris may be due to malignancy or trauma.
On the other hand, some circumcised women report having satisfying sexual relations including sexual desire, pleasure and orgasm. Female genital mutilation does not eliminate sexual pleasure totally for every woman who undergoes the procedure, but it does reduce the likely of orgasm.
The practice has been linked in some countries with rites of passage for women. FGM is usually performed by traditional practitioners using a sharp object such as a knife, a razor blade or broken glass.
FGM is most often carried out on young girls aged between infancy and 15 years old. It is often referred to as 'cutting', 'female circumcision', 'initiation', 'Sunna' and 'infibulation'.
Abstract. Female genital mutilation (FGM) or circumcision refers to the unnecessary procedure that damages or removes the external genitalia of females. It is mostly practiced in African countries and some Asian regions, particularly the Middle East, and is performed because of cultural, religious, and social reasons.
The authors found that the “vast majority of studies” concluded that women prefer circumcised penises. Even in countries where circumcision was not the norm, a majority of women found circumcised men more attractive.
Excision entails cutting or removing part or all of the clitoris with or without the labia minora and majora. Some women have only the clitoral prepuce removed. Infibulation (radical circumcision) is excision accompanied by suturing closed the introitus leaving a small opening for passage of urine and menstrual blood.
Circumcision: does it affect fertility? Circumcision doesn't have a direct effect on a man's fertility. Not being circumcised increases the risk of developing phimosis or infections such as balanitis and STDs. These conditions can impact male fertility, but these risks can also be avoided through good hygiene.
The practice is almost universal in Somalia, Guinea and Djibouti, with levels above 90 per cent, while it affects no more than 1 per cent of girls and women in Cameroon and Uganda. However, FGM is a human rights issue that affects girls and women worldwide.
The reason for this practice is ostensibly to reduce the libido of the female and promote sexual purity. Infibulation is also practiced in Ethiopia. This operation is limited to the north and northeast regions of Africa.
Known as khatna, khafz, and khafd, the procedure is performed on six- or seven-year-old girls and involves the total or partial removal of the clitoral hood.
Type 3 FGM/C may cause some girls and women to have painful menstrual periods. Some women are left with only a small opening for urinating and menstrual bleeding. They may not be able to pass all of their menstrual blood.
Menstrual problems.
Obstruction of the vaginal opening may lead to painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), irregular menses and difficulty in passing menstrual blood, particularly among women with Type III FGM.
Women who experienced infibulation, whose scars had to be cut open to enable sexual intercourse, and now again for them to give birth, face the greatest risks of prolonged and obstructed labor. Several countries with a high prevalence of FGM also have some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.
Our study shows that some men distinctly wish the harmful practice of FGM to continue even if they believed their religion did not condone it. Their self-interest is to support polygamy in some communities and control the sexuality of their wives. This requires opposition and a voice from women.
FGM is often referred to as female circumcision. This term implies a comparable practice to male circumcision. However, the degree of excision and trauma involved in FGM is generally much more extensive, including the actual removal of genital organs.
“Contrary to popular belief, circumcision has no long-term negative effects on the sexual drive and does not lead to any sexual dysfunctions.
FGM has no health benefits and can lead to serious, long-term complications and even death. Immediate health risks include haemorrhage, shock, infection, HIV transmission, urine retention and severe pain.
Based on the model described, it is estimated that 53,000 girls and women born elsewhere but living in Australia in 2017 had undergone FGM/C during their lifetime—a rate of 4.3 per 1,000 girls and women in Australia, or 0.4% of Australia's overall female population.
While most prevalent in Africa and the Middle East, FGM is a global problem and is also practiced in Asia and Latin America. Among immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand, female genital mutilation continues to persist.