Female Circumcision

circumcision /cir·cum·ci·sion/ (ser″kum-sizh´un) the removal of all or part of the foreskin of the penis in males; see also female c.

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female circumcision  any of various procedures involving either excision of a portion of the external female genitalia or infibulation.

pharaonic circumcision  a type of female circumcision comprising two procedures: a radical form in which the clitoris, labia minora, and labia majora are removed and the remaining tissues approximated, and a modified form in which the prepuce and glans of the clitoris and adjacent labia minora are removed.

Sunna circumcision  a form of female circumcision in which the prepuce of the clitoris is removed.

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female circumcision,

the surgical excision of the prepuce of the clitoris. Also called clitoridotomy. Compare clitoridectomy, female genital mutilation.

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Female Genital Cutting

The disfigurement and/or removal of parts of the external female genitalia which is performed in many Central and West African countries and required for tribal identity; female ‘circumcision’ has deeply rooted cultural significance; male circumcision is a symbol of religious and ethnic identity, female circumcision is linked to a woman’s sexuality and her reproductive role in society