"This is the prepuce of clitoris" recalled the doctor during an anatomy class on reproductive system. Like prepuce of penis, prepuce of clitoris is the external fold forming a cap over the clitoris. "And this is the part that is excised during circumcision", he added.
I remember at fourteen watching my few-months niece, Aida cried out loud when my late grandmother, Tuk Wan 'circumcising' her clitoris. As a male and young, I was not allowed to watch the procedure and waiting outside the room with my first niece, Ainur. As I heard Aida crying, I looked at Ainur and jolted, "It is your turn next" which made her bawled louder than her sister.
For years, Tuk Wan helped mothers for the birthing of their child. Being a midwife, she has done a lot of obstetrics jobs including female circumcision. Indeed, after retiring at seventy, she still providing female circumcision service. And she is the first reference whenever her granddaughters getting pregnant. Her 'rasa perut' or 'palpating of the uterus' skills (which in medical terms is called 'Leopold Examination') is at the finest. She simply predicted the due date and it turned out to be concise plus minus 1 or 2 days from the expected date. I have seen the procedure for many times, and the overwhelming smell of 'minyak urut' is still fresh in my mind. Although, I was never allowed to see the female circumcision. But I know, Tuk Wan circumcision procedure was very traditional and far from aseptic. In fact, she used a pen knife to 'cut' it. Surprisingly, none of the complication of genitalia cases has been complained until today.
Well, this is new to me. All the while, I used to believe that female circumcision is cutting part of glans of clitoris, not its prepuce. Hehe.. Plus, I just knew that clitoris itself can be subdivided to 3 parts; prepuce, glans and frenulum. Huh, anatomy is so 'over-acting', right?
Ironically, my sister called me last night. She just came back from doing a 'prepuce circumcision' for my youngest niece, Aminah at the nearby clinic.
I remember at fourteen watching my few-months niece, Aida cried out loud when my late grandmother, Tuk Wan 'circumcising' her clitoris. As a male and young, I was not allowed to watch the procedure and waiting outside the room with my first niece, Ainur. As I heard Aida crying, I looked at Ainur and jolted, "It is your turn next" which made her bawled louder than her sister.
For years, Tuk Wan helped mothers for the birthing of their child. Being a midwife, she has done a lot of obstetrics jobs including female circumcision. Indeed, after retiring at seventy, she still providing female circumcision service. And she is the first reference whenever her granddaughters getting pregnant. Her 'rasa perut' or 'palpating of the uterus' skills (which in medical terms is called 'Leopold Examination') is at the finest. She simply predicted the due date and it turned out to be concise plus minus 1 or 2 days from the expected date. I have seen the procedure for many times, and the overwhelming smell of 'minyak urut' is still fresh in my mind. Although, I was never allowed to see the female circumcision. But I know, Tuk Wan circumcision procedure was very traditional and far from aseptic. In fact, she used a pen knife to 'cut' it. Surprisingly, none of the complication of genitalia cases has been complained until today.
Well, this is new to me. All the while, I used to believe that female circumcision is cutting part of glans of clitoris, not its prepuce. Hehe.. Plus, I just knew that clitoris itself can be subdivided to 3 parts; prepuce, glans and frenulum. Huh, anatomy is so 'over-acting', right?
Ironically, my sister called me last night. She just came back from doing a 'prepuce circumcision' for my youngest niece, Aminah at the nearby clinic.
3 comments:
There was a case in the U.S. courts some years ago in which a Nigerian woman was fighting deportation on the grounds that her daughters would be subject to clitoral circumcision if they returned to Nigeria.
The feminist community backed her strongly, but I believe she and her daughters were finally deported. Immigration law is pretty unyielding here.
Too often the procedure ends with removal of more than just the prepuce, causing great pain and making it difficult or impossible for a woman to achieve orgasm. Even when it's done as you say, with only the removal of the prepuce, it's medically unnecessary and when done in less than sterile conditions risks serious infection.
I'm glad your relatives are able to do this procedure without destroying the clitoris, but my Western sensibilities still cringe at the idea.
that's incredible. To perform circumcision in a traditional way without any great complication. She must have lots of experience...
Steve, I love your comment! It is so an eye-opening comment! Thank you very much.
O.K. What I know is, there are kinds of female circumcision in the world and they are quite different from each other. Like in Nigeria, I heard that female circumcision in African countries is quite 'horror'. They target on the glans of prepuce, which leads to serious complications.
But in Islam practice, we circumcise the prepuce part only, not remove it at all. We believe that, women who do not perform circumcision, will have uncontrolled-sexual drive. They will be having much higher libido than men. So, circumcising the prepuce will give a woman, an optimun sexual desire. And during the circumcision, there will be only small amount of blood.
And I strongly agree with you that, the procedure is very important. Nowadays, most of the female circumcision in my country are performed by doctors in hospitals or clinics.
hafiz238, i wish i had her power.. hehe.. thanks!
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