[What is excision? Dr. Sanankoua's point of view].

80 million women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). In Mali, 83% of the country¿s women are mutilated. Such mutilation is part of ceremonies initiating young girls into the world of adulthood. The first type of FGM involves removing a part of the clitoris, the second form of FGM involves excising the clitoris and labia minora, and the third type involves excising the clitoris, labia minora, and a large part of the labia majora. Immediate adverse consequences include violent pain, hemorrhage, lesions to neighboring organs, urine retention, acute infections, tetanus, and septicemia. Later or long-term consequences include scarring, cysts and abscesses of the vulva, pelvic infection, sterility, dysmenorrhea, difficulty urinating, marital and delivery complications, psychological problems, and an increased risk of contracting HIV.