Female circumcision

[noobster]

Hi,

actually this is not a how-to thread but maybe you can help me.

Last week's guardian told about the death of the most important fighter against female circumcision. I think circumcising against one's will is really bad.
While reading the article I realised that I have no idea of what a circumcised woman / girl would look like. On the internet I only found drawings about the technique but no photos.
Do you have any pictures of circumcised women and can post the link?
Maybe you think this is weired but I would like to know what it looks like.

Greetings
noobster

 

[dollface007]

i understand your curiosity, but i personally wouldn't want to see it. It's probably more horrific than one can imagine. i know there are different degrees of butchering depending on where the woman comes from. Maybe try some medical books at the library.

 

[herecomestherain]

Got to say unless you are planning to research and campaign in the area of Female Genital Mutilation there may well be things better left unseen. Amnesty International may be able to direct you.http://www.amnesty.org/ailib/intcam/femgen/fgm1.htm
Read it and weep for women of the world...

 

[lovechild27]

I cant imagine there being any pics of that...I know the net has a lot of screwed up stuff on it...but that is one of the most twisted things to ever occur. I really doubt your going to find it

Please just tell me you dont want to see pics to get off on them or something...

 

[UncleTom555]

And yet Male Genital Mutilation goes on as not even deserving an afterthought. Scary world isnt it?

In case you are wondering, yes I am a circumsized male who is strongly against ALL forms of circumcision.

 

[mattenno]

why do you want to see this???

 

[BlueSugar]

not to forget that there are many different types of genital mutilation on both genders... it isn't pretty, I'm going to google it though, I feel people need to be more aware of "just how good we've got it..." though, that is their culture, that is what they believe and they've been doing it way before America was "discovered."

 

[peachykeen]

though, that is their culture, that is what they believe and they've been doing it way before America was "discovered."

Why should we tolerate torture just because it's "part of someone's culture"?

A few months ago there was a program on television here (I think it was the BBC but maybe not), a documentary by woman filmmaker who is from 'that culture' but who was not circumsized; she is now a campaigner against it. Part of the program featured two girls - sisters, maybe like ten years old - undergoing the, ahem, procedure. I know that sounds really gratutious, but it was not, it 's difficult to explain. But at any rate it was absolutely the most horrible and horrifying thing I have ever witnessed, however vicariously, in my entire life. I was shaking after seeing it, I was so sickened and angry and upset.

 

[herecomestherain]

Amnesty

Like I say, read the Amnesty report linked above but only if you are feeling strong, you will come away thinking there is something seriously wrong, culture or no fucking culture. Lets consider ourselves lucky, very, very lucky.

 

[noobster]

OK, maybe you are right that it is better to leave any pictures of female circumcision unseen. I have not found any but I think you don't have to look at things to know that they are wrong and have to be punished.

I did not want to look at those pictures to get off. It think such a picture is one of the biggest turn offs I can imagine.

Thanks for your responses, I think I don't want to see pictures any more.

UncleTom555, I think I can understand you.

noobster

 

[Mistress K]

That is simply horrible.

I couldn't even read the whole article.

 

[asiasiren]

noobster,

It is good to leave this one alone. Descriptions are more then enough for you to understand what is taking place and the damage it causes both physical and mental.

UncleTom555,

While I may be woman, I can relate to what you’re saying.

When I was 11 years of age I was elevated into womanhood with a procedure that is classified as FGM but much more humane. I had a small, very small piece of my clitoral hood removed. Just a bit from the tip. While nothing compared to some of the FGM, it still hurt like something evil. Guys, just think of the zipper getting stuck on the tender skin on the underside of your penis and staying there a few days. My mother was with me because it was a time of celebration. With her support I was able to lay there and not shed a tear for it was a great thing that i have done. Three sisters had all gone before me and told me that it was a great thing. Yes it was in religion, not in feeling. I learned much about what could have happened from my mother after that day was completed. She did not fair as well as I. In her youth, the full hood was removed. Before that, even more radical. My sisters have put their daughters through the same ritual. I have not done that to my daughter. There are better ways to accept entering into womanhood. Like being able to make they’re own choices.

It doesn’t matter how deep seeded it is in culture or religion. It is wrong and things need to be done to eliminate it from the face of the earth. Plus, we sure the hell do not need to see pictures of it to know what it is.

 

[Etoile]

I just have to say that I can see where noobster is coming from with this. I have a pretty strong stomach and I'm curious about those pictures too. Despite being familiar with Google and Google Images I wasn't able to turn up anything. The closest I have been able to come is pictures of infibulation, and that's mostly the temporary kind practice by extreme body-mod folks.

 

[crazybbwgirl]

Uncle Tom555

While I understand what you are saying - there can be no comparision between male and female circumcision. Religious beliefs aside - Men are circumcised for cleanliness or health reasons. Women are circumcised to make sex so painful you won't cheat on your spouse. Pretty significant difference.

 

[solid_]

While I understand what you are saying - there can be no comparision between male and female circumcision. Religious beliefs aside - Men are circumcised for cleanliness or health reasons. Women are circumcised to make sex so painful you won't cheat on your spouse. Pretty significant difference.

In an intact man the sexually sensitive tissue unfolds to cover the shaft of the penis.
The circumcised man has only a narrow band of this tissue remaining.

Many men do not miss their penile tissue until they discover the historical basis of circumcision:
Just as with female circumcision in some parts of the world, the intent of male circumcision in America was to control sexual activity. It is clear from the historical evidence that circumcision in America was instituted in a futile attempt to prevent masturbation by reducing sexual sensitivity.

http://www.fathermag.com/health/circ/

 

[Etoile]

Many men do not miss their penile tissue until they discover the historical basis of circumcision:
Just as with female circumcision in some parts of the world, the intent of male circumcision in America was to control sexual activity. It is clear from the historical evidence that circumcision in America was instituted in a futile attempt to prevent masturbation by reducing sexual sensitivity.

And after that, they do miss it? That seems surprising to me. I know there are cut men who attempt to reclaim their foreskins (I think by stretching), but I suspect most American men are okay with it because it's what they've always known. (Other cultures circumcise later, so there could be a conflict there.)

 

[crazybbwgirl]

I thought male circumcision was a jewish thing for cleanliness reasons? And that it became popular in the US for the same cleanliness reasons? I'm going to have to read that link. I guess I've never heard of any cut guy who had pain during sex?!?!

 

[moonchild24]

yeah, I'm confused about this too. what do you cut from a female? Why would someone do this? I guess I'm so used to seeing circumcised men, but if you weren't meant to have it, you wouldn't be born with it.

 

[moonchild24]

noobster,

When I was 11 years of age I was elevated into womanhood with a procedure that is classified as FGM but much more humane. I had a small, very small piece of my clitoral hood removed. Just a bit from the tip. While nothing compared to some of the FGM, it still hurt like something evil.

O.k. you were 11? OMG.. were you sedated or anything? How sadistic!!!! Boys are like 2 days old when they have this done. How can people compare this?

 

[Etoile]

yeah, I'm confused about this too. what do you cut from a female? Why would someone do this? I guess I'm so used to seeing circumcised men, but if you weren't meant to have it, you wouldn't be born with it.

From http://www.religioustolerance.org/fem_cirm.htm -

• Sunna circumcision in which the tip of the clitoris and/or its covering (prepuce [hood]) are removed.
• Clitoridectomy where the entire clitoris, the prepuce and adjacent labia are removed.
• Infibulation (a.k.a. Pharaonic circumcision) which is a clitoridectomy followed by sewing up of the vulva. A small opening is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass. 1 A second operation is done later in life to reverse some of the damage. In some cultures, the woman is cut open by her husband on their wedding night with a double edged dagger. She may be sewn up again if her husband leaves on a long trip.

 

[sheath]

Oh, my god.

It makes me realize just HOW lucky I am to have been born in a place where FGM is very, very rare.

S.

 

[crazybbwgirl]

On a lighter note - cuz if I think about this too much longer I'm gonna puke - it seems like they should have cut a lot more off the guys penis - cuz what they did cut off sure didn't stop any of them that I know from masturbating! lol

 

[tendril]

I just don't get get male circumsion.

It's not done routinely here in New Zealand.

When my son was born, this perfectly formed little man, there was NO WAY I would have agreed that there was a small part of him that was...superfluous....needed to be surgically removed!!

As far as female circumsion is concerned - it is horrendous enough to even think about it, far less have to live through.

It is form of mutilation.

 

[peachykeen]

well at any rate I think we need to thank noobster for bringing up the topic, if only to remind us a)how lucky we are, those of us who have not been subjected to this brutality and b)that this does go on, and we need to be aware of that.

 

[Etoile]

It is form of mutilation.

Indeed, human rights groups routinely refer to the practice as "female genital mutilation" - that's how a number of groups have named themselves and that's the best term to search on in Google.