A Guide to Laws and Policies Worldwide. The report focuses on FGM in the context of a violation of girl's and women's human rights, that is, the right to physical integrity. Procedures differ greatly according to ethnic groups and regions, with the extent of removal of the genital organs varying.
All procedures have serious physical and psychological health consequences.
Complications include severe bleeding, infection, pain, obstruction of labor, pain during sexual intercourse and chronic urinary tract infections, says the report. FGM continues to persist despite knowledge of the adverse and sometimes deadly consequences. The report says that it is estimated the world wide 130 million girls and women have undergone some form of the procedure, and another 2 million girls and women are at risk. FGM is imbedded in custom and tradition, often seen as a rite of passage for girls. It says that families often feel pressured into circumcising their daughters, fearing judgment from the community.