Why is female circumcision done?

Question

and it is defined as the "cutting off the prepuce" but thats exactly what male circumcision is, yet in the u.s.a. male circumcision is done routinely, usually for no reason at all ("more hygienic" - i dont believe tthat is true)

Answer 1

Male circumcision is usually done for religious reasons or just "to look like dad" ...

Female circumcision - this is a much worse form of mutilation, usually involving clitoridectomy. In some parts of the world it is practiced for cultural or religious reasons, and in other parts it is used as torture or punishment.

With respect to the hygiene argument for male circumcision, it is easy enough to teach uncircumcised boys proper hygiene. Oddly, though, it seems that HIV infection rates in Africa are much lower among the population of circumcised men compared with uncircumcised men. This is attributed to better hygiene in the literature, but I am not entirely sure that confounding factors have been accounted for.

Answer 2

It is done for cultural reasons, it is a horrible travesty against women and little girls. It is mutilation. In many instances it is more than the cutting of the prepuce, there is removal of the clitoris, labia, and sewing most of the vaginal opening closed all done in very unsanitary conditions.

Answer 3

However, religion alone is not the common thread amongst FGC advocates, as it transcends both culture and religion. UNICEF stated that when "looking at religion independently, it is not possible to establish a general association with FGM/C status."

The arguments used to defend FGC are multifaceted and vary from societies that practices this; they range from health-related to social benefits and are summarized below. Interestingly, some of them are remarkably similar to the arguments used in defense of male circumcision.

maintenance of cleanliness
maintenance of good health
preservation of virginity
enhancement of fertility
prevention of stillbirths in women pregnant for the first time
prevention of promiscuity
increase of matrimonial opportunities
pursuance of aesthetics
improvement of male sexual performance and pleasure
promotion of social and political cohesion
Maintenance of cleanliness is considered very important in some African cultures and consider FGC part of maintaining cleanliness as it removes secreting parts of the gentitalia. Other societies claim FGC cures females from a diverse range of psychological diseases such as depression, hysteria, insanity, but also even kleptomania. FGC provides a proof of virginity—a guarantee against premarital sex, which is a necessary condition for marriage in many FGC societies. Parents may then demand a high bridal price, and hence in a socio-economic context circumcised women have an advantage over uncircumcised. Additionally, in some of these societies, men are forbidden to marry uncircumcised women. Yet other FGC practicing societies like Mossi of Burkina Faso and the Ibos of Nigeria believe that babies die if they touch the clitoris during birth. Removal of the clitoris is believed to decrease the risk of female promiscuity, since it reduces or removes sexual pleasure. Some FGC societies believe that FGC enhances beauty. This stems from their belief that male foreskin is removed for aesthetic reasons, and that the clitoris thus should be removed for the same reason since it is the counterpart to the penis. FGC is believed to prolong sexual pleasure of men, because it is believed that the clitoris increases sexual stimulation. Circumcised women are considered of higher status than those who are not and are entitled to positions of religious, political and leadership nature.

In some areas of Africa, there exists the belief that a newborn child has elements of both sexes. In the male body the foreskin of the penis is considered to be the female element. In the female body the clitoris is considered to be the male element. Hence when the adolescent is reaching puberty, these elements are removed to make the indication of sex clearer.

Answer 4

It is done so that women will experience less pleasure during sex. The thinking behind this is that they think women will be less likely to be unfaithful. I have also heard of a surgical procedure where the vaginal lips are sewn together for the same reason.

Answer 5

The female circumcision is a control method to keep the women from straying. It removes their ability to orgasm.

I don't seem to recall circumcised men having that ability removed.

Wikipedia goes in depth on the subject....

Answer 6

....its also done in some countries for religious purposes, its a cruel thing to do since it takes a way the woman's sensation to enjoy being stimulated. But people believe what they want.