Restorative surgery for survivors of FGC in the USA

[mothwing]

Now also available in Colorado, and I learned that there's Clitoraid for those who can't afford it. I know that the surgery has been available in Germany for years (it's covered by the insurance), and it's a good thing that there are people offering it in the USA, I didn't even know that it wasn't available over there.

What always absolutely floors me is how often people feel the need to state that there is little known about female sexual organs and that many articles on the subject feel it necessary to point out that FGC is usually a whole lot more invasive than the male counterpart that isn't. Why on earth don't people know that?

Comments

[moonystone.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that those mutilations could be reversed, but I'm extremely glad about it. I do hope all insurances will cover those operations because there's absolutely nothing cosmetic about them.

It is strange, though, that the term circumcision is used both for the small operation on boys and that insane mutilation on girls. I guess this is one of the reasons why people in countries where this isn't done to girls get the wrong notions about the thing.

[mothwing.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it bothers me that labia-reconstruction is seen as "cosmetic" in Germany even in cases of type III genital cutting.

Seriously. I once broke the "Never read the comments"-rule on an article in a German newspaper about FGM and those people... ouch ("I don't get why they are so up in arms about this, they also circumcise boys, and they do so in the USA, too." - "Why aren't there more organisations to stop male genital mutilation, that's why I'm wondering!").

[moonystone.livejournal.com]

What?! Gods, how brainless! (Concerning both parts.)

I'm quite glad they made a film out of Waris Diri's book, even though I assume they've softened the story quite a bit, because due to that the discussions about the practice and consequences of FGM went up again. Hopefully, a couple more people know about it now.

If I remember correctly, the survivalist Rüdiger Nehberg is on a mission with his wife to stop FGM in Africa; by talking to the Islamic preachers about the Koran, looking for the part where it tells them to do such a thing to women. And as they haven't found such a part, there are a few preachers having sermons against that practice, explaining to their listeners that FGM is against Allah's will.
I don't remember the name of that foundation, my mum once went to a lecture, but I find the approach really interesting.

[mothwing.livejournal.com]

Yeah, me, too, and I'm curious about that movie, although I'm going to read the book before I watch it. I haven't yet and movie versions tend to be off.

That approach sounds good and will hopefully be effective, at least with those who are doing it because they think it's in the Qu'ran.
What made me happy was hearing that there are seminars offered for doctors in Germany on how to deal with FGC survivors in a respectful manner (which I sort of hoped would be self-explanatory, but good that these courses exist for those who need them), how to help women access health care they might be interested in, explaining downsides to parents who want to have their daughters cut in a respectful way, etc.

[moonystone.livejournal.com]

This movie version will have to be off, otherwise they couldn't really show it...

Those seminars sound really good. I've watched a TV coverage about a kind of self-help centre for FGM survivors that offers consultations for parents thinking about having their daughters cut. The consultant is an African-German woman whose mother prevented her from being cut, the main argument being that while a girl in certain parts of Africa is considered unclean and will be cast out when uncut, the situation is different in Germany. By explaining that they don't have to succumb to old traditions in that "new" country, they could prevent quite a number of illegal cutting ceremonies here and are reducing the number of girls flown "home" for the holidays for that act.
I just hope there would be more centres like that!