Why fgm is bad

Received : 23 February Accepted : 06 April Published : 18 April Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:.

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Skip to main content. Search all BMC articles Search. Download PDF. References 1. Google Scholar 2. Accessed, March 3, 3. Google Scholar 5. Google Scholar 6. Article PubMed Google Scholar 8. Google Scholar 9. Article PubMed Google Scholar Google Scholar Muteshi View author publications.

View author publications. Additional information Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. About this article. Cite this article Muteshi, J. Copy to clipboard. Contact us Submission enquiries: Access here and click Contact Us General enquiries: info biomedcentral. In the last two decades, the proportion of girls and women in these countries who want the practice to stop has doubled. Ending FGM requires action at many levels, including by families and communities, protection and care services for girls and women, laws, and political commitment at the local, regional, national and international levels.

The programme supports zero tolerance laws and policies, while working with health workers to both eliminate female genital mutilation and provide care to women and girls who have undergone the procedure. To help change social norms, we work with communities to openly discuss the benefits of ending FGM and to build opposition to the practice.

The programme has also provided access to prevention, protection and treatment services. In alone, nearly 7 million people across 19 countries participated in education, discussions and social mobilization promoting the elimination of FGM. Female genital mutilation is an extreme form of violence against girls and women. Explore global data and resources on this harmful practice.

What is female genital mutilation? Why is it practiced? Why is female genital mutilation a risk for girls and women? Researchers estimate more than , girls and women in the U. Types 1 and 2 are the most common, but all types may be harmful. Families often feel pressure to have their daughter cut so she is accepted by their community.

Other reasons may include:. In some countries, only a small number of girls and women are cut. In other countries, nearly all girls and women are cut. Also, how much wealth, education, and the type of education a girl's parents receive may influence their choice to have a daughter cut.

How bad these problems are depends on: 7. Type 3 causes more health problems than type 1 or type 2. Type 2 and type 3 cause more serious health problems than type 1. Girls and women who come to the United States and have already been cut may face additional health problems.

Doctors and other health care providers may not know how to adequately treat the girls' and women's unique health needs. In some cases, health care providers lack training on counseling and caring for girls and women who have been cut.

These include: 9. It is painful and offers no health benefits. For these reasons, the U. Some approaches include:. Recent research shows that these efforts may be working. You may also contact the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section of the Department of Justice at or hrsptips usdoj. ICE ice. Girls and women in the United States who have already been cut need access to clinically and culturally appropriate care from trained health care providers.

Department of Health and Human Services. ET closed on federal holidays. Breadcrumb Home A-Z health topics Female genital mutilation or cutting.

Female genital mutilation or cutting. This is also called clitoridectomy. Type 2: Partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia the inner and outer "lips" that surround the vagina Type 3: Sewing the labia together to make the vaginal opening smaller.

This is called infibulation. Despite her mother once being a practitioner of female genital mutilation FGM , year-old Zainab refused to be cut and is now an outspoken advocate against the practice.

Zainab became an activist at the age of 13 when she joined an anti-FGM club in her school — a club she now runs. FGM is prevalent in Sierra Leone due to Bondo society — an all-female secret society governing a girl's rites of passage into womanhood - including this harmful ritual.

In the country's northern province, where Zainab lives, And parents still pass on that view to their children, so they often also try to force their children to join the society. She is now also a proud advocate against the practice. Sixteen-year-old Isha was rejected by her family after refusing to get married. Soon after, she was told that she had to get married — when she refused her parents threw her out of the family home.

It was a battle between us.