The Issue of Female Circumcision from a Medical Anthropology Perspective

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Recommended: debate on female circumcision

It is estimated that about 100 million women are circumcised (Toubia 1994,712). Female Circumcision or Female Genital Cutting or Female Genital Mutilation as it is also known is a very important issue that deserves much attention and understanding. Female Circumcision is closely related to women’s sexuality and reproductive role, which is why it has strong cultural significance to those that have the procedure done (Toubia 1994,712). The practice is done in a variety of cultural and ethnic groups (Toubia 1994,712). In order for change to occur, the practice must be understood from the culture it happens in. Once the problem is understood from that perspective, then the most appropriate and effective solutions can be suggested.
The age at which a circumcision is preformed on a female varies. Female Circumcisions are normally preformed on girls between the ages of 4 and 10 years of age (Toubia 1994, 712). It is also not uncommon to find female circumcisions preformed on other types of girls and women. This procedure can also be performed on babies, females that are about to be married or after a female has given birth for the first time (Toubia 1994, 712).
There are a variety of ways in which the procedure can be performed. One way is to have a clitoridectomy, which is defined as partial or total removal of the clitoris (Shell Duncan 2001, 1015) . Another way the procedure can be done is by removing completely or partially the clitoris along with the inner labia (Shell Duncan 2001, 1015). The last way the procedure can happen is when all outside genital parts are removed only to leave a small opening for fluids such as urine and menstrual blood to pass through (Shell Duncan 2001, 1015). That type is called an infibulation (Shell...

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... parts that is removed from the female genital area (Gruenbaum 2005, 431). There are solutions that range from performing a less painful procedure to empowering the women in hopes of changing the culture (Shell Duncan 2001, 1015) (Gruenbaum 2005, 431).

Bibliography
Duncan-Shell, Bettina. 2001. “The Medicalization of Female “Circumcision”: Harm Reduction or Promotion of a Dangerous Practice?” Social Science & Medicine 52:1013-1028.
Gordon,Daniel. 1991. “Female Circumcision and Genital Operations in Egypt and the Sudan: A Dilemme for Medical Anthropology” Medical Anthropology Quarterly 5: 3-14.
Gruenbaum,Ellen. 2005. “Socio-cultural Dynamics of Female Genital Cutting: Research Findings, Gaps, and Directions” Culture, Health and Sexuality 7:429-441.
Toubia,Naeid. 1994. “Female Circumcision as a Public Health Issue” The New England Journal of Medicine Sept:712-716.

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