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From: ariels@orca.UUCP (Ariel Shattan)
Newsgroups: net.women.only,net.books
Subject: Re: "sexist" surgery
Message-ID: <440@orca.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 5-Jan-84 12:25:17 EST
Article-I.D.: orca.440
Posted: Thu Jan  5 12:25:17 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Jan-84 01:41:22 EST
References: <6348@watdaisy.UUCP> <262@denelcor.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR.
Lines: 22

Clitorectomies are still practiced in Africa among many tribes.  As
a maturity ritual, adolecent girls are held down while thier
clitorises are scraped off with a sharp stone.  The wound is then
crudely stiched.  Many girls die of infection.  The process is done
because since these tribes practice polygyny (one husband, many
wives), and it is impossible for a man to satisfy all those women,
this way, the woman won't be sexually interested, and therefore
won't stray.  When educated women in these countries try to get 
these rituals stopped, they are accused of having no respect for
tribal tradition.

In western countries, not as many useless surgeries are being
performed as befor, as the medical community becomes more concious
of women's sexuality and as women become more assertive about what
happens to their bodies.  Not very long ago, hysterectomies were
performed for every reason from "psychological health" to birth
control (after all, if you've already had six kids, and you're
Catholic, so you can't practice birth control, it could seem like a
blessing to not ever have to worry about being pregnant again).

Ariel (more fuel for the fire) Shattan
decvax!tektronix!tekecs!ariels