Sexual Mutilations »

Denniston, George C. (Univ of Washington); Milos, Marilyn Fayre

The contributors represent the specialties of law and business. Most are from private organizations and hospitals in the U.S., the U.K., and France. Institutions prominently represented include Association Contre la Multilation des Enfants.

The contributors to this volume, an international panel of experts in the fields of medicine, law, ethics, sociology, anthropology, history, religion, and politics, exhaustively document and dissect this largely soft-pedaled and insidious violation of human rights. In 23 chapters they present the history of sexual mutilation; discuss its consequences to the victim, both physical and psychological; analyze its role in tradition; reveal the medical industry's investment in the practice; describe current legislative efforts, including the Ashley Montagu Resolution to End the Genital Mutilation of Children Worldwide; and outline effective, culturally sensitive methods being implemented today to safeguard the human rights of at-risk children.

Patricia A. Marshall

This edited volume is a collection of papers first presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Sexual Mutilations held at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland in 1996. The multidisciplinary perspectives of professionals in the fields of medicine, law, history, religion, and political science are represented. The purpose is to describe the geographical occurrence, epidemiological patterns, and harmful effects of what the authors call ""sexual mutilation."" Sexual mutilation, sometimes described as circumcision by other scholars and investigators, refers to the practice of surgically removing parts of male and female genitalia. This practice has been justified historically for medical, religious, or cultural reasons. The title of the book, Sexual Mutilations: A Human Tragedy, reveals the perspectives of the contributors, all of whom believe strongly that the practice should be condemned. Their agenda is clear: to persuade physicians and healers worldwide of the negative social and medical consequences of circumcision. Infants and children are portrayed as helpless victims in the hands of adults -- parents, social authorities, and healers. The editors suggest that, regardless of the age of the child, ""...sexual mutilation results in the destruction of self-confidence, the infliction of excruciating pain, and the creation of massive tissue damage."" Very little attention is given to the cultural contexts within which circumcision practices occur. Thus, this book does not present a broader perspective on the cultural meanings associated with circumcision in industrialized and developing nations, nor on the widespread persistence of circumcisionpractices throughout the world. This book would be of interest to physicians and other health providers, social scientists, epidemiologists, and medical investigators concerned about circumcision practices. However, scholars interested in a more robust understanding of the development and cultural meaning of circumcision/sexual mutilation will need to investigate other sources. Features of the book include photographs depicting the physical consequences of male and female circumcision. Additional photographs depict ""healthy"" uncircumcised genitalia. Two appendixes are included. Appendix 1 is ""The Ashley Montagu Resolution to End the Genital Mutilation of Children Worldwide: A Petition to World Court, the Hague."" Appendix 2 lists organizations against genital circumcision/mutilation along with a list of further readings. This book provides information on the epidemiology of circumcision and details the harmful physical, social, and emotional side effects of the practice. The contributors argue strongly for the amelioration of circumcision wherever it occurs. Little attention is given to furthering our understanding of the cultural reasons for the persistence of this practice.