The tradition of FGM goes back thousands of years and there is evidence of the practice in Pharaonic Egypt. The origins of FGM are unknown, and although some associate it with religion, there is no basis. The practice seems to be linked to ensuring that a girl remains a virgin until marriage, to curtailing her sexual drive, and to a dominant view of female genitalia as unclean. The removal of female genitalia is sen as an act of purification. The practice is also part of traditional ceremonies imitating pubescent girls into womanhood.
Critics view it as a method of controlling women's sexuality.
There are three main types of FGM, all involving a serious health risk and all having a lasting affect on the lives of the women who undergo the operation. This involves cutting off the prepuce or hood of the clitoris, and sometimes the tip of the clitoris itself. Complications Immediate complications of the operation, most often performed in unhygienic circumstances without an anaesthetic, include hemorrhaging, shock and infection. It can even lead to death. Long term medical problems are common, including pelvic inflammation, sterility, chronic urinary infections, cysts and abscesses.