PREVALENCE OF FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION IN BENI-SUEF LOCALITIES

Overview

Female genital mutilation /cutting (FGMC) includes all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or another injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons". It constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women due to the health consequences, pain, and risks involved. Regardless of its prevalence, the physical and psychological complications of FGM in Egypt were shown to be enormous. These complications are usually categorized into primary or acute complications and secondary or long-term complications. The primary complications include pain, bleeding, and psychiatric trauma while the secondary complications include several emotional, menstrual, and sexual disorders

Despite being internationally recognized as a human rights violation of girls and women, FGM has been performed on at least 200 million girls and women in 31 countries. According to the 2015 Egypt Health Issues Survey (EHIS), 87% of all women aged 15-49 years in Egypt had undergone FGM. Social norms, religion, ensuring premarital virginity and marital fidelity, increasing marriageability, and cultural ideals of femininity and modesty were among the most commonly cited reasons for performing FGM. A survey conducted among Egyptians aged 10-29 years in 2014 indicated that the reasons given for practicing FGM were customs and traditions (56.7%) and religion (35%). FGM has many types ranging from excision of the prepuce with/out clitoris (Type I or Clitoridectomy) and excision of the clitoris and labia minora (Type II or Excision) to profound excision of the external genitalia with stitching and tightening the vaginal opening (Type III or Infibulation). Type IV describes pricking, piercing, scraping, and cauterization of the external genitalia without flesh removal. In societies with Muslim majorities, type I: is known as "Sunna Circumcision"; a religious term linking the practice to the commands of the Prophet of Islam or "Khifad" the Arabic synonym of "reduction"; a term claiming that the Prophet of Islam endorsed partial rather than complete excision of the external genitalia. In Egypt, types I and II are also called "Ta-hara"; the Arabic synonym of "purification" which points to the hygienic drive of the practice.