Malawians confuse FGM with Male circumcision

Sep 27, 2015 Health 39
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Malawi24
Female-genital-mutilation

There is a sign of ignorance among some quarters of Malawians as to decipher the difference between Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Male Circumcision (MC) as they are questioning Health authorities whether FGM help to prevent cervical cancer in women or testicle cancer in men.

Female-genital-mutilation
Female genital mutilation remains unknown in Malawi

In a debate of comments by our readers in a post about Malawi Government rejecting a recommendation by the United Nations Human Rights Council that would have forced it to criminalize FMG, most of the readers confused the two for the other.

While a larger population showed ignorance about FMG, the smaller one questioned its essence.

In his post to the earlier publication on Malawi24 on the issue, Edwin Chingwalu asked the meaning of female mutilation.

Wrote Chingwalu, “What is genital mutilation?” Despite this some Malawians have commended government for rejecting recommendation by United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to criminalize FGM. World Health Organization (WHO) describes FGM as “the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for cultural and other non-therapeutic reasons.”

Despite that studies in the country have shown that circumcision is not effective, some Malawians are not aware of it.

However it is not clear whether the campaign in Malawi is a hidden Randomized Controlled.

In some African countries FGM serves as a rite of passage or as preparation for marriage. Usually the goal of female genital cutting is to reduce or excise the clitoris, in order to reduce sexual sensitivity. But often all parts of the external genitals are removed, and sometimes the wound is stitched shut (infibulation).

Research has shown that girls are expected to be cut around the age of 15, and among and some as young as 8 or 9 years old, at the earliest signs of puberty.

FGM is likely to cause physical consequences among young girls, which includes death from hemorrhage or shock.

In Uganda, FGM is practiced by a minority of the population, the law prohibits the practice and trial discontinued on ethical grounds.