What Is Genital Cutting?

Genital cutting refers to a controversial surgical procedure where women and girls have their external genital altered for nonmedical reasons. Also known as female genital cutting (FGC) or female genital mutilation (FGM) by those opposed to the procedure, genital cutting is a traditional practice dating back to ancient times. FGC is customary in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The practice can also be found in North America, Europe, and other regions of the world where immigrant groups have resettled.

There are several different forms of genital cutting that are practiced around the world, ranging from type I to type IV. Generally, the procedure involves cutting or removing the clitoris or some part of the labia. The labia are folds of skin surrounding the vagina, often simply called the lips of the vagina; the outer lips are known as the labia majora and include another set of inner lips called the labia minora.

The most extensive form of cutting is infibulation, or type III, which may involve removal of all external genitalia, including the labia majora. The cut areas are then stitched together, covering the vagina and leaving a small hole for urine and menstrual blood to pass through. Generally, the area will have to be cut back open before sexual intercourse can occur.

Type I, or a clitoridectomy, is typically considered to be the less severe form of the procedure and involves removing the prepuce, the fold of skin covering the clitoris. The clitoris itself may also be amputated. Type II FGC, also known as an excision, can involve removal of the clitoris along with the labia minora. The final type, type IV, includes a number of other nonmedical procedures done to the external female genitalia, such as burning and piercing of the clitoris.

For the most part, trained medical professionals are not doing the cutting procedure, and it is commonly done in nonmedical settings. Usually, a village elder or a midwife, skilled in traditional medicine practices, performs the surgery. The equipment used for the procedure can vary but may include scissors, razor blades, or broken glass. In most cases, no anesthesia is used to reduce pain, and generally, no antibiotics are available to prevent infection. The procedure may have a number of negative effects on female health, including painful intercourse, lack of sexual pleasure, and infertility.

In most areas where genital cutting is practiced, the procedure is often done on young girls who have not yet reached puberty. In these regions, the practice is part of the social tradition of that culture and used to initiate a girl into womanhood. The age of those who undergo female circumcision, however, can vary drastically around the world. In some regions, the practice is conducted on newborn infants just days after birth. In other regions, it is customary to have the process done before a woman gets married. Alternatively, it may be done before or following the birth of a woman’s first child.

Those who undergo and support genital cutting cite a number of different reasons as to why the practice is done. In some communities, FGC is done because of the belief that their religion supports the practice. This belief is not limited to one particular religion, however. Muslim and Christian nations both have supporters of cutting. According to those who are opposed to the practice, however, no religious texts support cutting, and many religious leaders do not condone the practice.

Often, girls who undergo the procedure do so because it is the social norm, an expected part of the culture they identify with. For those who refuse the procedure, there is the risk of being shamed and facing social exclusion or ridicule. These girls may also lose the respect of their families or be viewed as dishonoring the families' good name because traditional beliefs about the procedure associate it with encouraging chastity. The repercussions of not getting the procedure done may mean a woman has a lack of marriage prospects and a lack of economic support. This is often due to the idea that the procedure preserves virginity and reduces sexual pleasure, preventing a woman from engaging in extramarital affairs.

Western attitudes about female genital cutting mainly subscribe to the view that there is no medical value for the procedure. In fact, female circumcisions are illegal in a number of nations around the world, including Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, some human rights groups, including the World Health Organization, consider the practice to be a human rights violation. For supporters of genital cutting, however, the procedure is seen as an integral culture practice and continues to be performed.