Overview

Female genital cutting (FGC) also called female circumcision or female genital mutilation involves cutting or removing the external female genitalia for non-therapeutic reasons. FGC is a common practice among societies mainly located in a band of African countries north of the equator, from Mauritania and Guinea in the west to Somalia and Egypt in the east ("Female Genital Cutting in Guinea: Qualitative and Quantitative Research Strategies"). It is most often carried out by traditional practitioners on girls that range in age from a few days old to 20 years old. FGC can cause pain, severe bleeding, infections, and even death.