...* Cross culturally, where, when and how is circumcision performed on males and females. Include information on its legality and actual practice, and the medical implications of this for women and men. * How should the United States respond when female circumcision is practiced in our country? * How should the United States respond to female circumcision that is practiced in other countries?( review information on values such as "cultural relativisim page 7 of your text, do you think it does or does not apply) * What are your views on other practices regarding changing the appearance of the genitalia, such as the Brazilian wax or labiaplasty? Should we leave the genitalia alone or is there something to be said for "enhancing" the appearance? Any research on this? * What are the medical, physical, or mental consequences for any of the procedures Male circumcision and female circumcision have some similarities. For the males, they are born with a fold of skin located over the head of the penis. This is called the glans or foreskin. In the circumcision this is surgically removed and is usually performed 48 hours after birth but can be done 2-3 weeks after birth as well. This procedure does not necessarily have any medical benefits. It can possibly prevent penile cancer and infections and possibly reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Circumcision for males is usually done as an American tradition and is thought to be easier to keep clean. The survey...
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...Fatima Said, of Americas Top Model, defiantly put female genital cutting in the minds of Americans and people around the world. She opened up a topic that many people had no idea about, and now are very interested in knowing more about. This essay will give a brief history of Somalia (Fatima’s home country), and then it will go into female genital cutting in Somalia. Somalia is a country in eastern Africa. The countries of Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya surround it. Somalis are thought to have been decedents from Africans and Arab people. The main languages in Somalia are Arabic, Italian and English. Islam is practiced through out the region. The majorities of Somalis are livestock herders and cultivate the land that they have. (www.cia.gov). Somalia became independent and its own country in 1960, when it got independence from England and Italy. Somalia has not had a stable government between 1991 and 2000. However, during 2000 a parliamentary government was formed but later on expired in 2003. In 2004, a new parliament was organized and a president was elected- Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. Since 1991, Somalia has been overwhelmed with chaos and anarchy. Somalia had gone through a difficult time in 1992 when a drought happened in Africa and was combined with a civil war. Somalia went through an intense famine that killed approximately 300,000 people. (www.cia.gov). There were many efforts done by the United Stated and the United Nations to help Somalia get through the drought and...
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...David R. Tomlinson Resource limited area in Africa Circumcision Removal of the distal part of the foreskin WWII We first invaded north Africa Men that were not circumcised would get balanitis and posthitis Men with these conditions wouldn’t fight Eisenhower said from here on out, only circumcised men could go fight WWII is the reason why so many men in America are circumcised Egypt 2000 BC One of their advances was circumcision Egyptians were some of the first epidemiologists They removed the foreskin for health benefits One of the hypothesis is the schistosomiasis organism that meant uncircumcised men were more easily infected 1981 first case report of HIV, which was reported to the WHO 33 million people are currently infected with HIV HIV Virus Doesn’t infect red cells, but infects white cells Infects the system that’s supposed to defend the system AIDS Auto immune deficiency system Victims die of many different causes because they are susceptible to many different types of invasions Affects adults and leaves the very young and the very old which doesn’t help stimulate the economy HIV Fourth leading cause of mortality world wide Number 1 killer in SSA 2007, 12 million kids were orphaned by AIDS the numbers keep growing people need antiretroviral drugs for life and need to change the types of drugs Uncircumcised men had a much higher rate of vascularized STDs, such as syphilis One of the first physicians to make the connection...
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...Female circumcision is also known, more accurately, as female genital mutilation and female genital cutting (FGC.) There are three forms of FGC. The first is a clitoridectomy, the cutting and/or removal of the hood of the clitoris and all or part of the clitoris. The second is an excision which removes the clitoris, the hood, and the labia minor (the inner folds of the vulva that is responsible for producing lubrication.) The infibulation is the third and most radical which also removes everything in the excision along with the labia majora, the outer folds of the vulva. Once removed the sides of the vulva are sewn together leaving a small hole (about pencil size) for the flow of menstruation and urine. The tradition of FGC dates back more...
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...Over 200 million women alive today have been affected by FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) (Krupa, 2017). Female Genital Mutilation is often referred to as Female circumcision. While the name Female Circumcision makes you think of the standard Government regulated practice of Male circumcision, the two procedures are so different they should not even be compared (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012). First, Female Genital Mutilation is not a regulated practice, that is why the practice of FGM is illegal and is considered a felony in the United States (Wikipedia the free encyclopedia, 2018). There is typically no licensed medical professional present when the procedure is being performed, and the procedures are not typically performed in a medical...
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...Female Gentile Mutilation (FGM) Female Gentile Mutilation (FGM) is a practice or tradition that involves partially or completely removing the external genitalia of girls and young women for nonmedical reasons. It is illegal in many countries but first started taking place and is still currently in practice in some African countries as well as within the Middle East. This act affects young girls between infancy and age 15, the procedure is a problem because it offers absolutely no health benefits for girls and women. The earliest record of FGM was made by Strabo, the Greek geographer and history specialist who reported a circumcision on young Egyptian girls in 25BC. Then again, it is trusted that FGM was happening a few centuries before this, and was spread by dominant tribes and civilizations as a result of tribal, ethnic, and cultural allegiances. In some countries, FGM is a rite of passage, which signifies a young lady's move to womanhood and her status to wed. FGM in many communities is believed to reduce a woman's desire to have sex and is also supposed to help her oppose sexual acts. At the point when a vaginal opening is covered, the fear of it opening and the fear of it being discovered is what scares young girls away from committing sexual acts. There is also a belief in some cases that a woman's genitalia is ugly or unclean. Aside from the pain and distress involved in the procedure at the time, there can also be long-term health consequences involving infertility...
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...CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Female circumcision is a traditional practice performed on girl children as part of initiation rituals into adulthood. This inquiry seeks to demystify the secretiveness surrounding this practice, seeking to establish the reasons why female circumcision remains a taboo subject. In doing so, the researcher will attempt to establish the local community’s perception of female circumcision and elucidate some of the reasons practitioners cite as benefits of female circumcision. The research focuses on Mabvuku and Tafara suburbs because there are people of different ethnic groups with varying customs and values that shape their behaviour and way of life. Mabvuku and Tafara have an unusually high concentration of people of Malawian, Mozambican and Zambian origin who migrated to seek work mostly before the Zimbabwean independence. Due to this diversity, women and girls who have undergone female circumcision were interviewed. Mabvuku is a high-density suburb some seventeen kilometres east of Harare. It is classified as a suburb or township of Harare, with the Harare City Council constituting local government. This inquiry is exploratory, descriptive and qualitative in nature, based on interviews with women who had undergone the practice in Mabvuku-Tafara. The inquiry can be termed therefore, a qualitative research done through a case study design. This research method is preferred because the researcher is exploring a subjective understanding of social reality...
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...and South East Asia. It is a procedure in which the genitals of a young girl or child or removed or circumcised. In countries where this is practiced, society practices it as a tradition and those who do not are not accepted. There are several side effects from going forth with the practice of female genital mutilation. This includes: urine complications, bleeding, scaring, pregnancy complications, aids, mental issues, and even resulting in death. Even with all of the negative effects of Female Genital Mutilation, if given the option of pro-choice, some girls would not feel untraditional, it will not be practiced illegally, and there could be better medical procedures taken into consideration. History of Female Genital Mutilation In America, it is natural for a parent to choose to have their son circumcised. Before, it was not permissible. Unfortunately, in areas like Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia, it is unacceptable for a mother or grandmother to have their daughter circumcised, also known as female genital mutilation. The clitoris or other genital parts are cut out with a small blade or a piece of glass, and then it is sewn together. Due to the fact that it is considered inhumane or an act of force. People feel as if the rights of these little girls are being violated, thus for making it illegal in the areas it is practiced. There are several side effects that women experience after their genitalia is removed. Some which include: difficulty peeing, severe bleeding...
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...Female Genital Mutilation (also incorrectly known as “female circumcision”) is an extreme cultural practice prevalent in much of North and West Africa as well as in parts of the Middle East and Asia, in which young women and girls are forced to undergo a procedure that alters or rather, mutilates their reproductive organs. Although Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM, is seen in many cultures as a way to promote purity and chastity, this paper will argue that it is in fact a reflection of the “deep-rooted inequality between sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women.” (WHO, 2014) Female Genital Mutilation is defined by any procedure that alters the exterior parts of a female’s reproductive organ. The literature describes four main types of FGM. The first type is called clitoridectomy. In this process surgery involves the full or partial removal of the clitoris. A second type is called excision and this occurs when the clitoris is also fully or partially removed. In addition, the labia minora is removed leaving just the labia majora intact. Infibulation is the most severe form of FGM and occurs when a seal is formed over the opening of the vagina by removing the inner or outer labia. A small hole is left for the passage of menstrual fluid and urine. The hole is...
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...contraction of the virus. The cultural perceptions of the virus also affect how the virus is researched and how medicines are developed for it. Religion also plays a role in how the virus is spread and can have an impact on how those who are researching the disease research it. The spread of HIV/AIDS is affected by several factors the main ones being the approach of education taken, cultural perceptions of the disease, and religion. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was first recognized as a disease in 1981 (Kshatriya, 2005, pg. 69). Before 1981 it was found in the Caribbean and in African countries but it wasn’t until those first cases in the United States were diagnosed that the disease was officially recognized. HIV/AIDS exploded in America in the early 80’s, and initially they thought that AIDS was a “gay disease” and called it GRID standing for “gay related immune disease” (Lovell, 2011, pg. 111). This caused an initial stigmatization of the disease due to the association with homosexuality. Later cases of HIV/AIDS were found in intravenous drug users and their children, prostitutes, and hemophiliacs (Gautam, 2005, pg. 70). The initial focus on the gay community created a lot of activism in the gay community to educate the public about AIDS (Lovell, 2011, pg....
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...Ethnocentrism Nichole Houghton AIU ABSTRACT There are many issues that can be attributed to an individual’s cultural beliefs and how they can relate to another individuals specific cultural beliefs and set standards. Sometimes these issues can be minor and dealt with appropriately, but in other cases these cultural differences can be monumental and cause different societies to wage wars against one another. The way that an individual judges or perceives other cultures beliefs and standards based on the guidelines of their own culture is what sociologist refer to as ethnocentrism and is what we are going to be looking at in further detail in this paper. There are many factors that contribute to the persistent societal disputes and disagreements that are forever occurring throughout the globe. There is a great divide that can be felt in regards to understanding and accepting each individual society; each one has its own unique culture and many individuals are not capable of viewing a culture different than their own without passing predisposed judgments and ideas that are typically instilled by their own culture. Ethnocentrism is a term that sociologists use to define this universally occurring unaccepting set of attitudes and behaviors. Ethnocentrism can be attributed to social evolution, local & foreign competition and can also be a result of cooperation with what is considered to be the in-groups and not the out-groups (Axelrod & Hammond, 2003). The main concept...
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...Rites of Passage Your Name ANT 101 Instructor's Name Date In times we see many different cultures that evolved around the earth and throughout time as well. This paper will examine Native Americans, Greek and the Japanese rites of passage. Ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person's life, such as birth, puberty, marriage, having children, and death. Rites of passage usually involve ritual activities and teachings designed to strip individuals of their original roles and prepare them for new roles. The traditional American wedding ceremony is such a rite of passage. In many so-called primitive societies, some of the most complex rites of passage occur at puberty, when boys and girls are initiated into the adult world. In some ceremonies, the initiates are removed from their village and may undergo physical mutilation before returning as adults (Rites of passage,(n.d.). Rites of Passage have been a path of life throughout time and space. Anthropologists have found many differences between cultures but also many similatries. Rites of passage from boy to man or girl to woman are different in some and strange in others. The Native Americans and the Greeks were not the same as the Japanese, but yet believed in some of the same old blood ways. Rites are not taught but learned throughout one’s lifetime. Native Americans had a volatile version of passage. In the earlier years, the Native American boys would play as boys. They would follow fathers and...
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...Female Genital mutilation also known as “female circumcision” is an invasive surgical procedure, prefermormed in African cultures on females age 7 days to 15 years old. Though there are four different types of surgery, they all require the complete or partial removal of varies parts of the female genital organs. The surgery can consist of pricking or tampering with the clitoris with a forgeign object Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."[1] The practice is carried out by some communities who believe it reduces a woman's libido[3] — an official with the top Muslim clerical body of the largest Muslim-majority nation of the world, the Indonesian Ulema Council, said the practice (of FGM) is a religious obligation that should be done to control women’s sexual desires.[4] The WHO has offered four classifications of FGM. The main three are Type I, removal of the clitoral hood, almost invariably accompanied by removal of the clitoris itself (clitoridectomy); Type II, removal of the clitoris and inner labia; and Type III (infibulation), removal of all or part of the inner and outer labia, and usually the clitoris, and the fusion of the wound, leaving a small hole for the passage of urine and menstrual blood—the fused...
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...Journal of Public Health and Epidemiology Vol. 4(5), pp. 117-122, May 2012 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JPHE DOI: 10.5897/JPHE11.194 ISSN 2141-2316 ©2012 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Female genital mutilation in Southeast Nigeria: A survey on the current knowledge and practice Ibekwe Perpetus C.*, Onoh Robinson C, Onyebuchi Azubike K., Ezeonu Paul O. and Ibekwe Rosemary O. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. Accepted 9 April, 2012 Female genital mutilation (FGM) has been recognised as a major reproductive health problem and a dehumanising practice that has resisted change especially in developing countries. The study reviews the current knowledge and practice of FGM in Southeast Nigeria. This is a questionnaire based descriptive study involving women of reproductive age in Abakaliki, South east Nigeria. A semistructured questionnaire was distributed to 320 women by simple random sampling. Information sought included the socio-demographic characteristics, and personal information on FGM with regards to knowledge and practice. Two hundred and sixty (81.3%) were appropriate for analysis. The mean age of the respondents was 28.6 years ± 5.4 SD. Most had formal education, with tertiary education contributing 60.8%. A high percentage was aware of FGM, and the problem associated with it was 91 and 72%, respectively. Half of the respondents (49.6%) were genitally mutilated while almost the...
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...Please answer FIVE (5) of the following questions. Please type your answer directly underneath the question. Be sure to answer ALL parts of the question. Each question is worth 20 points. You may use your book, notes, and PowerPoints. You may NOT work together. All exams are due Monday, March 4th by 5 pm. We will NOT have class that night. 1. Discuss the history of sex over the past 400 years. Have people always been uptight about sexual activity? What took place that changed attitudes regarding sexuality? Discuss devices used in Medieval times to prevent sexual activity. Do you think that suck devices could be used today? 2. Which method do sexuality researchers most often use to collect data? Name three (3) benefits and three (3) issues with this method of data collection. If you were a sexuality researcher, and you did not want to use the previously mentioned method, which would you use? What are the two (2) benefits and (2) issues with using your technique? **The most common methods used are surveys. Benefits of surveys are that they are less expensive than interviews, they are more convenient in a way that it makes people feel more relaxed, it reinforces anonymity, and you can do them on your own time, whenever you please. Some issues this method has are that self-report data can cause difficulties in recalling past events, embellishment, and not an accurate return rate. If I did not use surveys as a method, I would probably chose case studies. Benefits...
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