Female Genital Cutting: The Debate Rages On

Female genital cutting is an issue that doesn't get the attention it deserves.

The World Health Organization estimates that 100-140 million women around the world have been subject to genital cutting. It's still prevalent in 28 countries, most of which are in Africa, where these practices are carried out in a barbaric, and often deadly manner with the use of razor blades and broken pieces of glass.

It's done for a variety of reasons--some are hygienic, while others use it to ward of sexuality, some see it as a rite of passage into womanhood.

The newest debate around this issue concerns the involvement of doctors and medical staff. More and more families are now asking doctors to carry out the cut, in the hope that this will make it safer. Research shows the use of sterile equipment and antibiotics cut the risk of immediate complications by 70%, so it would make sense that families, who intend only to cut--not kill--their daughters, would ask a doctor to carry out the task.

So that is where the debate lies. If families start seeking professional medical attention in order to cut their daughters, does that make it acceptable? Should doctors even consider doing such a thing?

When I read this article I was immediately reminded of the stories I heard about female cutting while in Uganda. Stories of women holding down screaming girls as young as three and basically mutilating them with a razor blade, with no pain medication at all. Some bled to death, while others got off with a bad infection. It's unimaginable. I can't even comprehend what this would be like. I think it is a brutal practice, regardless of doctor involvement.

My first thought is no, doctors should not be involved at all, because by doing so they are supporting this horrible practice.

But that can't be the answer.

IF doctors refuse to be involved that only means these women will carry their daughters back into those old traditions, with nothing but a rusty razor blade.

The lesser of the two evils is getting the doctors involved. And in a lot of ways it can be seen as a step in the right direction: IF they HAVE to be cut, then they should be doing it in the safest environment possible. As much as I'd like to see this stop completely TODAY, the reality is that this tradition is deep in tribal and spiritual roots and there is much work to be done if we hope to see an end to this brutal practice.