Female Genital Mutilation
             Genital mutilation has been present in society since ancient times. Today it is present throughout the world, with some forms being readily accepted into educated western societies. While cases of female genital mutilation spark public outcries, it is interesting to note that male circumcision does not, despite involving hurting innocent minors, having negative repercussions on the child and, in most cases, and providing no medical benefits. In fact there are very few cases where genital mutilation is performed for medical reasons, which contradicts the doctors oath, thus making doctors who perform circumcisions and the like, hypocrites. This, and the fact that it directly contradicts parts of the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is the basis of many people's protests about the practice. Mutilation is defined as being "Disfigurement or injury by removal or destruction of any conspicuous or essential part of the body" (Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 26th Edition, 1995). This definition includes female circumcision, as many practitioners believe the clitoris is an essential part of the female genitalia.
             In the case of female genital mutilation, there is no evidence to suggest it might be medically beneficial in any way, and can cause serious medical problems and even death due to complications directly resulting from the procedure. Female genital mutilation is both a health issue and a women's rights issue. Often called female circumcision, this practice involves one of several types of procedures. There are two main categories of female genital mutilation, clitoridectomy, and infibulation. Clitoridectomy is the removal of the clitoris. This is done to decrease a woman's ability to achieve orgasm, in the hopes to keep her from having sex. Infibulation if the rem
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