Reading response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reading response - Essay Example Having been circumcised herself, and by every means an informed person, Fuambai cites research examples that found no fault with the practice. This paper will analyze the reading and why female circumcision is not bad after all, but rather, a positive and highly held custom by those who practice it, in a different land than the pressure groups against it. Fuambai starts her interview by saying she shared a video of the celebrations during her initiation, in which people spoke highly of it. Although some may view it as a submission to male dominance, the participating women were clearly in it because they drew some significance from it. I believe that simply because not all cultures share the same values, some should not be viewed as primitive. The African cultures especially those of the Mande people, believe in the symbolic transitioning of girls into responsible women. To them, the cut signifies the preparedness of girls to become leaders, wives and mothers. Physically, just like t he foreskin covering the penis is removed in male circumcision, the same is done in female circumcision, symbolizing feminization of the girls. ... Although complications are reported, she points out that they do not result from the act of circumcision, but rather the stigma that goes hand in hand with it. Pregnant, circumcised women are reluctant to seek pre natal care because of fear of the way they will be handled by the healthcare providers once they find out they are circumcised. The healthcare providers also lack proper knowledge of the circumcised women’s bodies. I agree with the research carried out in Gambia that concluded that infertility is not rampant among circumcised women. In fact, the rate stood at 10 percent for both circumcised and uncircumcised women. In my opinion, it stands out wrong when such statistics are not made known to the people in the same manner as those that portray the practice in bad light. In a bid to balance the candidates and conductors of the numerous researches carried out, the reading cites one done in Sweden by a Swedish obstetrician. It concluded that no connection was found betwe en prolonged or obstructed labor and circumcision, or genital surgery. On the contrary, the research established that circumcised women bore less risks of complicated birth in comparison with Swedish women who were not circumcised. In this light, I think the pressure groups against female circumcision ought to give more credible reasons and evidence of prolonged or obstructed labor. Arguments against female circumcision have branded it as a means to deny women sexual feelings, desires and enjoyment. Many have likened it to chopping off a man’s penis. I do not believe that this argument presents a strong case because, as stated in the reading, researches