Cultural Practices

& Diseases

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus )

Cultural Practices in Africa
In Africa, FGC (female genital circumcision)
is a cultural practice because it is believed
that it will empower their daughters, ensure
the girls get married, and protect the
familys good name.

Cultural Practices
& Diseases
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus )
Cultural Practices in Africa
FGC is believed to stop a womans sexual
desire, and is also performed to keep a
womans virginity by limiting her sexual
behavior.
FGC is mostly performed on young girls
sometime between birth and age 15.

Cultural Practices
& Diseases
Spreading of Pathogens
People who have no medical training, under
unclean conditions, perform most forms of
FGC. Many times, one tool is used for
several procedures without sterilization.
These conditions greatly increase the
spreading of life-threatening infections such
as HIV.

Cultural Practices
& Diseases
Spreading of Pathogens
Also, damage to the female sex organs
during FGC can make the tissue more likely
to tear during sex, which also increases the
risk of spreading HIV.

Cultural Practices
& Diseases
Spreading of Pathogens
It has been proposed that heterosexual
transmission of HIV is in fact, enhanced in
Africa because of the widespread practice of
female circumcision.

Cultural Practices
& Diseases
First-Person Account
The next slide is a statement made by Nawal
El-Saadawi, a victim of female genital
circumcision. I believe her statement is more
powerful than anything I could say, as I have
never experienced it or lived in a society
that has the same cultural beliefs.

Cultural Practices
& Diseases
"The importance given to virginity and an intact hymen in
these societies is the reason why female circumcision still
remains a very widespread practice despite a growing
tendency, especially in urban Egypt, to do away with it as
something outdated and harmful. Behind circumcision lies
the belief that, by removing parts of girls' external genitals
organs, sexual desire is minimized. This permits a female
who has reached the dangerous age of puberty and
adolescence to protect her virginity, and therefore her honor,
with greater ease. Chastity was imposed on male attendants
in the female harem by castration which turned them into
inoffensive eunuchs. Similarly female circumcision is meant
to preserve the chastity of young girls by reducing their
desire for sexual intercourse." - Nawal El-Saadawi

Cultural Practices
& Diseases
References

http://
www.theguardian.com/society/2014/feb/06/
what-is-female-genital-mutilation-wherehappen
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets
/fs241/en/
http://
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-a
nd-families/health-news/what-is-fgm-every