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Female Circumcision
The term Female Circumcision was widely used for many years to describe the practice; however, it has been largely abandoned as it implies an analogy with male circumcision3. Some will say if men can be circumcised why not women? The difference is that men circumcision is proved to prevent actual health issues like STDs. Female circumcision has no purpose and no benefit. “Female circumcision is a pointless, barbaric act,” says Zahrah Awaleh of Forward, a London-based group campaigning against discriminatory practices. Female circumcision just harms a women’s health. For example, studies have shown that women circumcised are more likely to have reproductive-tract infections, vaginal discharge, and genital warts. Women have even died from this practice because of severe bleeding. Female circumcision is a far more damaging and invasive procedure. Furthermore, while male circumcision is seen as affirming manhood, female circumcision is often perceived as a way to curtail premarital sex and preserve virginity.4
In a clinical study, the women were asked about the frequency of sexual intercourse and the level of sexual pleasure. There was no difference between the cut and uncut women in how frequently they had intercourse, or in the proportion of women who said that there were easily “turned on”. In fact, cut women were more likely to initiate sexual intercourse5.
Female circumcision goes all the way back to 25 B.C., when the first mention appeared in the writings by the geek geographer Strabo. 6 Ever since then circumcision has been practiced and mostly in 28 African countries.7 Because of the poverty and lack of medical facilities in these countries, the use of anesthesia is rare. The pain women endure throughout the circumcision is traumatizing and can even affect the brain of newborn. Newborns, young as they are, do not know how to tolerate this much pain. Tools to fulfill the procedure can go from broken glass to any sharp object.
As a result, in the belief that female circumcision reduces promiscuity and improves reproductive health, female circumcision has inflicted over 100 million women. 8 It’s been practiced since before 25 B. C. and it will be continued to be practiced. This inhuman act against women is considered violence and everyone should be aware of these facts. There is no benefit to female circumcision just many health issues that can lead up to costing their lives.
Works Cited
Women's International Network News. Summer2003, Vol. 29 Issue 3, p31. 2p.
The horror of female genital mutilation, Ziv Laura, Cosmopolitan, 00109541, May97, Vol. 222, Issue 5.
Rob Edwards, New Scientist. 9/14/2002, Vol. 175 Issue 2360, p8. 3/5p. 1 Color Photograph.
Marina Murphy, New Scientist. 10/5/2002, Vol. 176 Issue 2363, p10. 1/3p.
Genital Mutilation Risk Highest Now, Community Care, 03075508, 7/27/2006, Issue 1633.
How Did Female Genital Mutilation Begin, Rossella Lorenzi, 12/10/12
Finding Out I Might Need Glasses at Goodwill
I have always been so prideful of my 20/20 vision until yesterday. As I was strolling the glass display at Goodwill, there were the cutest glasses. Since I thought they were for fashion and not prescription I asked to see them. When I put them on, everything was suddenly clearer. I was literally shook and yelled WTF. The employee started laughing, of course, I am always so dramatic. Since I don't have insurance I haven't been to get a vision exam in almost 15 years. Let me tell you about my last eye exam...
Maybe I was 10 years old, I can't really remember. My mother took me to get my big brown eyes checked and I was so excited because I wanted glasses. To make sure that I could get them, during the exam, I would tell the doctor the opposite letter or object I was seeing. Just complete sabotage, but not too many because I didn't want to get caught or diagnosed completely blind. The results came back in my favor and oh my how excited I was too. I strolled the entire store and picked these adorable purple oval glasses. Everything was going my way until it was time to pick up the glasses with the prescription in them. When I put those glasses on my heart sank. I couldn't see a thing and got an instant headache. My mother looked at me and said, "How do you feel?" I gave her the positive reply she needed to hear because if I told her the truth (after she paid $100+), I wouldn't see the next light of day. Her belt would have worn out on my hiney.
The doctor said they were mainly for reading luckily, the odds of reading in front of my mom were slim to none. She insisted that I wear them all the time even when not reading so that I wouldn't go blinder. After a few months, I suggested to her that maybe the doctor was wrong because my head just hurt too much. Eventually, she just stopped asking me to wear them (I never did wear them). Mother did take me to a different doctor that confirmed that I had 20/20 vision. The glasses were sent to the Dominican Republic as a donation for someone that may actually need them. To this day, my mother thinks the first doctor cheated her out of her money. If she only knew...
Presbyopia is the gradual, age-related loss of the eyes' ability to focus actively on nearby objects.
I am getting older, maybe I am actually losing my vision now. I found a couple resources that offer free or low-income vision care like Ramusa. Hopefully, I can get an exam done soon. I did buy the glasses at Goodwill for a $1 just in case it's the prescription I need.
P.S
How do I stop using the word "I" so much?
Maybe I was 10 years old, I can't really remember. My mother took me to get my big brown eyes checked and I was so excited because I wanted glasses. To make sure that I could get them, during the exam, I would tell the doctor the opposite letter or object I was seeing. Just complete sabotage, but not too many because I didn't want to get caught or diagnosed completely blind. The results came back in my favor and oh my how excited I was too. I strolled the entire store and picked these adorable purple oval glasses. Everything was going my way until it was time to pick up the glasses with the prescription in them. When I put those glasses on my heart sank. I couldn't see a thing and got an instant headache. My mother looked at me and said, "How do you feel?" I gave her the positive reply she needed to hear because if I told her the truth (after she paid $100+), I wouldn't see the next light of day. Her belt would have worn out on my hiney.
The doctor said they were mainly for reading luckily, the odds of reading in front of my mom were slim to none. She insisted that I wear them all the time even when not reading so that I wouldn't go blinder. After a few months, I suggested to her that maybe the doctor was wrong because my head just hurt too much. Eventually, she just stopped asking me to wear them (I never did wear them). Mother did take me to a different doctor that confirmed that I had 20/20 vision. The glasses were sent to the Dominican Republic as a donation for someone that may actually need them. To this day, my mother thinks the first doctor cheated her out of her money. If she only knew...
Presbyopia is the gradual, age-related loss of the eyes' ability to focus actively on nearby objects.
I am getting older, maybe I am actually losing my vision now. I found a couple resources that offer free or low-income vision care like Ramusa. Hopefully, I can get an exam done soon. I did buy the glasses at Goodwill for a $1 just in case it's the prescription I need.
P.S
How do I stop using the word "I" so much?