[#1]

90% of Egyptian women have been circumcised.  This was a news item yesterday.  As an older male, I was in tears in the realisation that millions of women throughout the world have been mutilated in this way.  Why is this such a taboo subject? The pain, suffering and sometimes death of young girls, later facing relationship problems, health and mental health issues.  Why is the western world so squeamish in discussing sexuality and sexual problems.  I have faced an adult lifetime of problems which cannot be openly discussed.

Can we do anything about this mass mutilation of women!

[#2]

90% of Egyptian women have been circumcised.  This was a news item yesterday.  As an older male, I was in tears in the realisation that millions of women throughout the world have been mutilated in this way.  Why is this such a taboo subject? The pain, suffering and sometimes death of young girls, later facing relationship problems, health and mental health issues.  Why is the western world so squeamish in discussing sexuality and sexual problems.  I have faced an adult lifetime of problems which cannot be openly discussed.

Can we do anything about this mass mutilation of women!

[#3]

I saw this on the news too and it's really shocking. I felt so sorry for the 11 year old girl they featured who was going to have it done, it hardly bears thinking about.

It's really hard to change something that is cultural because it is so ingrained and it must be so frustrating for the women featured who were trying to educate families that it is not necessary and is not instructed either by the Bible or the Koran. They said that it wasn't the men who were insisting on it, but the mothers of girls who felt that it was the only way they would get a husband, and the mothers in law who insisted on checking it had been done.

Education is the way forward but it seems like it would be a long and slow process, I wish something could be done to stop it immediately. I agree totally we find this unpalatable in the west and difficult to talk about but the more people do talk about it and discuss it openly the easier it will be to stop this horrific mulitilation of children.

Just horrible, and so so sad,

love

Teanna

xxx

[#4]

Teanna ... apparently this awful mutilation (there is no other word for it), could have happened to over 100million women worldwide.  It is a massive problem being swept under the carpet.  I'm sure it happens in Britain too!

One can't begin to imagine the effect on relationships and the mental wellbeing of these women.

As an older person, I am learning to discuss emotional and sexual problems openly with women. 

We must banish these taboos and try our best to make this world a happier place. 

Communication, education ... what more can we do? But we owe it to ourselves to try and do something.

Ric x

[#5]

I very much doubt as it happens in Britian unless it is done illegally. Doctors are reluctant to do it for men and boys unless there is a medical reason, and as there is no parallel reason in women, it will not be happening.

I did not see or read the news item, but I am sure there is an international charity or organisation working to abolish this disfiguration.

Mm

[#6]

Hello

It does happen in the uk, illegally. So called drs are either flown in or do are uk based. The department for education has a report on it and how they are trying to protect vulnerable girls. Cant remember ht the report i called alhough the process is called female genital mutilation (fgm).

With a daughter myself if breaks my heart to even think someone could do that to their child.

Love and hugs

[#7]

Hi,

I work in a related field and thought you guys might be interested to know about a project that you could support if you do feel strongly about this issue.

http://www.orchidproject.org/

Best

MsG

[#8]

Nothing to do. I am from Africa myself and the one thing that gets to me is the fact that older women do this to young girls, thus depriving them the basic pleasure of sex. I cannot imagine the pleasure I have being totally absent for life to someone just because some crank thought their culture could do without it.

Educating older women is the key but westerners missed the boat because they spent many years listening to feminists who were wrongly writing that the practice is for men. Of the many conferences on the issue I attended, it is clear that most men care very little about what the female anatomy looks like. They are more interested in settling their sexual tension. Its women in those societies who are totally in error and need correction.