Sub-Saharan Realm

FGM is often utilized as a rite of passage for young women, usually aged 15 to 19. In some cases, the young woman would volunteer to undertake the process. However, for many, the procedure is not consensual and often forced upon them by family and other kin as a dutiful obligation. The process itself varies, but in most cases, the outer labia and structures of the female organ are cut, mutilated or removed entirely and sewn up, often without the aid of anesthetics. The initial procedure itself is dangerous since many of the tools used are not properly sterilized and infection is not monitored for and prevented. Additionally, there is a high risk for fatal hemorrhaging if the procedure is compromised. In the long-run, women with FGM are also more susceptible to birthing complications requiring cesarean sections, higher incidences of maternal and infant mortality and other painful ailments during sexual intercourse. For these reasons, the international medical community has been quick to castigate the basis for the practice and often cite instances of abuse and health perils as primary offenders.