PASTORALISTS COMMUNITIES MUST SHUN FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION. (FGM)

Female genital mutilation (FGM) includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. Procedures differ according to ethnic group . They include removal of the clitoral hood and clitoral glans; removal of the inner labia ; and removal of the inner and outer labia and closure of the vulva. In this last procedure, known as infibulation, a small hole is left for the passage of urine and menstrual fluid; the vagina is opened for intercourse and opened further for childbirth.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is old habits that dies hard in most of pastoral communities in Kenya despite ban by government. Due to cultural or religious beliefs among Pastoralists communities like Borana, Gabra, Somali, Masaai, Samburu, Rendile and Turkana. They still highly believes that female genital mutilation is right of passage like their male counterpart. Girls who did not went under this process can be mocked and called all kind of names. Personally I have been raised up in Isiolo area largely populated by pastoralist community very little has been done to bring to attention of the people the effects that FGM may cause to the life of those who underwent it and there is need to sensitize them on the whole issue. Some of the pastoral communities are not much informed like people’s living urban areas who listen to radios or watch TV’s daily basis, some of the sensitization done on mainstream media may not reach them adequately.

The effects of FGM.

Women may experience chronic pain, chronic pelvic infections development of cysts, abscesses and genital ulcers, excessive scar tissue formation, infection of the reproductive system, decreased sexual enjoyment and psychological consequences, such as posttraumatic stress disorder.
Other risks are complications from infibulations include urinary and menstrual problems, infertility, later surgery (defibulation and reinfibulation) and painful sexual intercourse . Sexual intercourse can only take place after opening the infibulation, through surgery or penetrative sexual intercourse. Consequently, sexual intercourse is frequently painful during the first weeks after sexual initiation and the male partner can also experience pain and complications.
When giving birth, the scar tissue might tear, or the opening needs to be cut to allow the baby to come out . After childbirth, women from some ethnic communities are often sown up again to make them “tight” for their husband (reinfibulation). Such cutting and restitching of a woman’s genitalia results in painful scar tissue.
increased risks for adverse events during childbirth, and that genital mutilation in mothers has negative effects on their newborn babies . According to the study, an additional one to two babies per 100 deliveries die as a result of FGM.