Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a practice that is largely frowned upon by the modern society, but nonetheless still practiced by most rural communities that uphold the ritual. Despite many efforts to curb the vice, today it is largely practiced in secret by medical providers who collude with parents to circumcise their girls against their wish. These practitioners not only claim to provide better service by replacing traditional cutters who posed high health risks to the girls undergoing the cut but also deem their services crucial in helping parents continue to uphold their culture in the wake of civilization. No wonder one Dr. Tatu Kamau filed a case in court to legalize FGM urging that it provides willing participants the opportunity to undergo the cut by a qualified medical practitioner under the highest attainable standard of health. The increasing economic value gained by the medical practitioners is also a behind force pushing most of them to take care of their pockets instead of a patient’s health.
While there are no health benefits in the practice, its potential harm is not only limited to:
- High dropout rates for girls in school
- Forced Child Marriage
- Reproductive Health Issues; severe pain, excessive tissue swelling, painful urination, UTIs and other infections, menstruation complications, inhibited sexual health and even death
- Psychological Issues include; increased likelihood of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders and depression.
We can no longer afford to fail our girls again in the name of culture that has little benefit to their reproductive life. As such discussions to legalize the practice openly displays decay in the moral and ethical values of our medical practitioners. This advocates the need for further rigorous campaigns against FGM to change attitudes of both traditionalist and the educated class who have previously been deem as ‘civilized’ and hence don’t give chance to such cultural rites.
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