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Previous Volume 331:712-716 September 15, 1994 Number 11 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

	Full Text Letters Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited Related Article by Horowitz, C. R. PubMed Citation

In many civilizations, certain surgical procedures have profound cultural and social meanings. Male circumcision, for example, has deep importance as a symbol of religious and ethnic identity and has played a major part in the political and social history of many peoples¹. Female circumcision has particularly strong cultural meaning because it is closely linked to women's sexuality and their reproductive role in society.

Female circumcision is practiced today in 26 African countries, with prevalence rates ranging from 5 percent to 99 percent. It is rarely practiced in Asia. It is estimated that at least 100 million women are circumcised. . . . [Full Text of this Article]

The Procedures

Physical Complications

Psychological and Sexual Effects

The Cultural Meaning of Female Circumcision

Clinical Management

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Conclusions

Source Information

From the School of Public Health, Columbia University, and the Research Action and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women, both in New York.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Toubia at P.O. Box 1554, Cooper Sta., New York, NY 10276.

References

Related Letters:

Female Circumcision
Horowitz C. R., Jackson J. C., Teklemariam M., Schoen E. J., Buff D. D., Weydert J.-M., Fleiss P. M., Gilson G. J., Toubia N.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1995; 332:188-190, Jan 19, 1995. Correspondence

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