Reply #212: actually, there is more than one type of female circumcision [View All]

[fleabert]

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Some confusion occurs in discussing this topic as there are several distinct practices that are all generally referred to by this name. In particular, while female circumcision is generally thought of in the West as involving the complete destruction of the female sexual organs in an effort to eliminate the female's sexual pleasure, in some forms female circumcision is claimed to be analagous to male circumcision, in that both procedures can involve the removal of the prepuce and the frenulum.

Type I, "clitoridotomy" (also called "hoodectomy" as a slang term), or sunna circumcision, after one of the Islamic traditions, involves the removal or splitting of the clitoral hood. This type of female circumcision is claimed to be comparable to male circumcision, although the physical functions of both genders have been reported as impacted one way or another.

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Other forms are collectively referred to as Type IV. This includes a diverse range of practices, including pricking the clitoris with needles, burning or scarring the genitals as well as ripping or tearing of the vagina. Type IV is found primarily among aboriginal tribes and isolated ethnic groups as well as in combination with other types. An example, was practiced as an initiation rite among Australian Aborigines. It involved cutting or tearing the vagina of a pubescent girl to enlarge it, after which the girl engaged in coitus with several male tribal members.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_circumcision#Other_types_of_female_circumcision