Physical reality Female genital mutilation is the practice of removing parts of a woman's genitalia. The range in the amount of genitalia removed varies, depending on the tradition within a given culture. Female circumcision, for example, is the removal of the clitoral hood.
Excision is the removal of the clitoris itself.
Infibulation, the most severe form of female genital mutilation, includes the removal of the clitoris, the scraping off of the lips of both the inner and outer labia, and the stitching shut of the remaining genital orifice so that only a minute opening is left for the flow of urine and menses. These procedures generally are performed without anaesthesia, primarily on young girls, usually by women. Because the clitoris contains many blood vessels, including the dorsal artery, women who have been genitally mutilated may die from the resulting hemorrhaging, according to Dr. Henriette Kouyate, a gynecologist based in Senegal who was interviewed for Warrior Marks by Prathiba Parmar. The girls may also experience psychological trauma for the rest of their lives. Infection, which begins in the wound but may spread to internal organs, Kouyate said.