What is the difference between Female Circumcision and routine male infant gential mutilation?

Question

It is generally well accepted that clitoral stimulation is important to reach orgasm,[34] although this can also be a very mental process for a woman.

Whether or not a woman who has undergone FGC can achieve an orgasm, especially those who have had their clitoris excised, is a question that tends to have more than one answer.

Same source as referred by some answerers - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting

In many of the countries male mutilation is also done on 7 to 15 yrs old boys, without any anesthetic.

Saying, Africans do FGM and Americans never do FGM is not worthy to be considered as a valid argument for the merit of any of these practices. Both do FGM as well as MGM for no medical reasons at all, and for cultural reasons.

Answer 1

Hurting males is cool and hurting females is evil.

Answer 2

Well, basically, once male circumcision is done and is healed, the boy is fine. He might be a little less sensitive, but he's still OK. I personally prefer uncircumcised penises, plus there's no reason why you should cut the foreskin (most people in Western countries have access to showers, etc.)

For women, it remains painful for the rest of her life, whether it be basic circumcision or the whole thing (with sewing up). It IS dangerous, especially during childbirth. Basically, you end up getting a HUGE scar that may crack open during childbirth. It's even worth if the woman has been sewed up.

I saw a documentary about it (plus read about it later on), and they showed a schema of a woman's mutilated genitals. It's pretty gross, actually, and I don't even want to imagine the pain they are constantly feeling, even when they don't have sex or when they are not giving birth. It's just something they have to live with.

I'm referring to the most extreme circumcisions (type 2 and 3). I'm not sure what the consequences are for the cutting off of the hood of the clitoris. Apparently, Arabs who do it tend to cut "only" the hood.

I'm not going to talk about the lack of pleasure as some people have already hinted at it, and it truly is NOT the most important aspect of female circumcision, although it seems that it was the reason why it was done originally.

Here's what they say in Wikipedia:
"Among practicing cultures, FGC is most commonly performed between the ages of four and eight, but can take place at any age from infancy to adolescence. Prohibition has led to FGC going underground, at times with people who have had no medical training performing the cutting without anesthetic, sterilization, or the use of proper medical instruments. The procedure, when performed without any anesthetic, can lead to death through shock from immense pain or excessive bleeding. The failure to use sterile medical instruments may lead to infections.

Other serious long term health effects are also common. These include urinary and reproductive tract infections, caused by obstructed flow of urine and menstrual blood, various forms of scarring and infertility. The first time having sexual intercourse will often be extremely painful, and infibulated women will need the labia majora to be opened, to allow their husband access to the vagina. This second cut, sometimes performed by the husband with a knife, can cause other complications to arise."

Answer 3

I don't know if you're male or not, but if you are, are you circumcised? (It's a rhetorical question, I don't really want to know). If so, do you remember it? Are you traumatized by the event?
Now imagine that you are a girl between the ages of 11 and 14, and it is your time to take part in the traditional Coming of Age ritual, like every girl in your tribe. There's ritual feasting, dancing, etc. Then the village elders take you a tent, hold you down (it takes quite a few) then proceed to cut away your clitoris and labia with a sharp rock (or maybe a piece of glass). There is no anesthesia, so the pain is unbearable, if you are lucky, you will pass out early on. If not, perhaps you will be lucky and not get a terrible infection that kills you, or renders you infertile. Either way, you WILL be in a great deal of pain, perhaps for the rest of life. You will never enjoy sex, in fact, it will probably be painful, and if you do get pregnant, this ritual will ensure that there are complications. Good luck surviving that, after surviving all the rest of it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/medical_notes/241221.stm

EDIT--"In many of the countries male mutilation is also done..' What countries specifically? I know that in most African countries, male circumcision is NOT practiced, it is not a part of their culture. What countries are you referring to? Besides, your question did not refer to the genital mutilation of 7-15 year old boys, it referred to infant genital mutilation.

Also, what you don't seem to understand about FMG and the ability to achieve orgasm is that it's not so much the removal of the clitoris (although that has a lot to do with it) but the trauma that is caused to the outer vaginal area, in general, (remember, in a lot of cases, it is not just a matter of removal of the clitoris, but the labia as well). These rituals are performed without any type of sanitation, often, the wounds never heal properly, and lead to life long pain and recurring infections. Not to mention the mental trauma that ensues. "Mentally", it would be very difficult to achieve orgasm under such circumstances.

Answer 4

Female circumcision includes a wide range of procedures. The simplest form involves a small cut to the clitoris or labial tissue. A Sunna circumcision removes the prepuce (a fold of skin that covers the clitoris) and/or the tip of the clitoris. A clitoridectomy removes the entire clitoris and some or all of the surrounding tissue; this procedure occurs in approximately 80% of cases. The most extreme form of genital mutilation is excision and infibulation, in which the clitoris and all of the surround tissue are cut away and the remaining skin is sewn together. Only a small opening is left for the passage of urine and menstrual blood. Infibulation accounts for approximately 15% of FGM procedures.
One can distinguish several types of male circumcision of which the simple or routine infant circumcision, which is the removal of the foreskin or prepuce, is most commonly practised. In most cases, no anaesthesia is used. In general, the operation is perceived by the medical staff as a relatively minor procedure, with no or hardly any risks for the child.

Edit: Both have been performed for religious and cultural reasons for centuries. IMO, there is no medical reason to perform either of these procedures. We ALL need to wash our private parts, simple cleanliness is NOT a good reason for these procedures. Both my husband and son are not circumcised, and neither one have EVER had an infection. My husband is 50, my son is in his 20's.

Answer 5

The difference...
Female genital mutilation is routinely performed to stop women from enjoying sexual intercourse. It is often performed on young (not infant) girls and takes place in unsafe and unsterile conditions, often without anesthesia.

Male circumcision is routinely performed to for health and sanitary reasons (although - it isn't a necessary procedure) I do not have experience about how it feels but I can attest to the fact that men can still enjoy sexual intercourse. It is performed on an infant in a sterile and safe environment.

EDIT: "It is generally well accepted that clitoral stimulation is important to reach orgasm, although this can also be a very mental process for a woman."

The majority of women need clitoral stimulation to reach orgasm... however that isn't the point because the purpose of FGM is to control and subjugate the female. The reasons for male circumcision is religious or for health reasons. I have never heard of someone circumcising the males of population as a means to control their behavior.

Answer 6

The female equivalent of male circumcision would be to remove the clitoral hood. The male verson of female genital mutilation would be to lop off the head of the penis, for the more "gentle" female procedures. I don't know what the equivalent would be for the ones that also remove the inner and outer labia, scrape out the vaginal walls, and sew the vagina shut, but I imagine it would hurt. I'm not saying that I agree with baby boys getting circumcised, of course. I don't like the idea of any unnecessary surgery being performed on someone who can't give consent. But trying to equate male circumcision with what happens to many women is both demeaning to the women and overly hysterical on behalf of the men.

And women who have undergone this procedure have far more difficulty orgasming than the average circumcised man. You're trying to compare a molehill with the Himalayas here.

Answer 7

Well, let's see. Men get it done in infancy. Girls have it done when they're about 12. In Africa, it's done with no sterilization just using a sharp rock. A woman is held down, screaming--no sedation of course--her clitoris is often cut out, and her labia is sewn together from top to bottom. There is a small hole left for urination, a small hole for menstruation, but often the blood is unable to come out, and girls die from internal hemmorraging. When she has sex, the penis is literally pounded in, and the stitches are ripped open. And then, in many cultures, she's sewn up again. Childbirth is excrutiating, and many die in childbirth. There are different forms of FGM, some less extreme than others, but all of them involving mutilation of a womans genitalia. Oh, and the no clitoris thing--can't imagine what joy a woman in this situation would get out of sex. But that is the point. Is there a difference between m/f circumcision? You tell me.

Answer 8

Well, for one thing, circumcising a male does not generally affect his ability to feel pleasure (unless it was a botched job or something); however, female circumcision is done primarily to ensure that a woman can never experience sexual pleasure, in order to prevent a girl from having sex before marriage, cheating on her spouse, etc. Also, male circumcision is done for hygenic purposes. One more thing- with a few rare exceptions, males are always circumcised when they are newborns, thus making it impossible for any man to remember the pain associated with it, whereas females who are circumcised don't get it done until they reach sexual maturity- the ritual is usually performed when a girl is 12 or 13- and believe me, I remember EVERYTHING from when I was 13!!!!!!

Answer 9

Female circumcision, actually female genital mutilation, ruins a woman's ability to enjoy cunnilingus, may cause ongoing pain, and may result in serious problems during childbirth, or death.

Male circumcision does not cause any of the male equivalents of the above.

EDIT: Ocean -- how would you feel if you were circumcized in such a way that would make a hard on painful? Yeah, I bet you wouldn't like it! Even if you say that it's all a "mental" process...

Answer 10

Female circumcision is done usually around the age of 12/13, it is done so that the female gets no pleasure from sex, this is done to keep them from wanting another man sexually. This sickening act is done in countries like Ethiopia and Somalia, and it has a lot to do with their religious beliefs.

Answer 11

er ... what part of the poonani do they cut of exactly.

I dont even remember getting circumcized. I was in 6th grade sex ed, before I found out I din't have all the dck I was born with. I still have never seen an uncircumcized one. Probably never will.