Artifact 6 seeks to describe both male and female circumcision as well as to provide some background information involving both events and give historical context to their origins. It also will compare the two, but will also show the significant difference in how they are viewed on a world wide level.
Male circumcision is most prevalent in the United States and the Middle East due to religious teachings. It holds actual medical purpose as a circumcised penis has less of a chance of contracting HIV. There are at least three different methods to preforming circumcision and take please at a variety of different times of the child’s life from birth to teenager to even older. It is surprising that the practice is not more common as the only difference is in the lowering of the risk of HIV, but this could be due to others not having access to proper medical facilites to ensure a healthy surgery. There are tribes all throughout Africa, but one in particular performs circumcisions on males as they come of age in the field and then force the males to survive for a period of time in the field while they heal. There it has taken on cultural significance as being the final test to become a man. Female circumcision is quite different on the other hand.
Female circumcision or as it is sometimes called, female genital mutilation, involves the process of cutting off and ultimately removing parts of the female external anatomy. It is cross-cultural and cross-religious having no particular ties to any one group. Unlike in males which one has one type but multiple methods, FGC (female genitalia cutting) has 4 different ways to be classified which depends on how much genitalia is removed. While male circumcision has a medical purpose, FGC does not, but rather is practiced to help promote ideas such as: maintaining cleanliness, faithfulness to husband, control of promiscuity, and to ultimately enhance male sexual pleasure. Cases of FGC are most prominent throughout Africa and without proper medical equipment the procedure can be quite dangerous and many of the “surgeons” have no formal training.
It can be said that although very much so different, both male and female circumcision have purpose, but it clear to see that one is not so decent and just. Both practices are used as a means of coming of age in certain cultures while at other times, in other places they are practiced just as part of the cultural norms. Regardless of the reason for doing it I believe we should be doing it right and safely and with the proper equipment to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. It is interesting to see such a significant health gap that I had never even given a second thought to before.
Cadet Jonathan Verhoff
VMI Class of 2017
BI218X
HR: NONE