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The Brussels Collaboration On Bodily Integrity. Genital Modifications in Prepubescent Minors: When May Clinicians Ethically Proceed? THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS : AJOB 2024:1-50. [PMID: 39018160 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2024.2353823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/19/2024]
Abstract
When is it ethically permissible for clinicians to surgically intervene into the genitals of a legal minor? We distinguish between voluntary and nonvoluntary procedures and focus on nonvoluntary procedures, specifically in prepubescent minors ("children"). We do not address procedures in adolescence or adulthood. With respect to children categorized as female at birth who have no apparent differences of sex development (i.e., non-intersex or "endosex" females) there is a near-universal ethical consensus in the Global North. This consensus holds that clinicians may not perform any nonvoluntary genital cutting or surgery, from "cosmetic" labiaplasty to medicalized ritual "pricking" of the vulva, insofar as the procedure is not strictly necessary to protect the child's physical health. All other motivations, including possible psychosocial, cultural, subjective-aesthetic, or prophylactic benefits as judged by doctors or parents, are seen as categorically inappropriate grounds for a clinician to proceed with a nonvoluntary genital procedure in this population. We argue that the main ethical reasons capable of supporting this consensus turn not on empirically contestable benefit-risk calculations, but on a fundamental concern to respect the child's privacy, bodily integrity, developing sexual boundaries, and (future) genital autonomy. We show that these ethical reasons are sound. However, as we argue, they do not only apply to endosex female children, but rather to all children regardless of sex characteristics, including those with intersex traits and endosex males. We conclude, therefore, that as a matter of justice, inclusivity, and gender equality in medical-ethical policy (we do not take a position as to criminal law), clinicians should not be permitted to perform any nonvoluntary genital cutting or surgery in prepubescent minors, irrespective of the latter's sex traits or gender assignment, unless urgently necessary to protect their physical health. By contrast, we suggest that voluntary surgeries in older individuals might, under certain conditions, permissibly be performed for a wider range of reasons, including reasons of self-identity or psychosocial well-being, in keeping with the circumstances, values, and explicit needs and preferences of the persons so concerned. Note: Because our position is tied to clinicians' widely accepted role-specific duties as medical practitioners within regulated healthcare systems, we do not consider genital procedures performed outside of a healthcare context (e.g., for religious reasons) or by persons other than licensed healthcare providers working in their professional capacity.
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Kalender U, Wiegmann S, Ernst M, Ihme L, Neumann U, Stöckigt B. Who is sensitising whom? A participatory interview guide development as an awareness tool within a health care research project. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16778. [PMID: 37484285 PMCID: PMC10360575 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ute Kalender
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Luisenstraße 57, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Wiegmann
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, And Berlin Institute of Health, SPZ Interdisciplinary, Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martina Ernst
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, And Berlin Institute of Health, SPZ Interdisciplinary, Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Loretta Ihme
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, And Berlin Institute of Health, SPZ Interdisciplinary, Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Uta Neumann
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, And Berlin Institute of Health, SPZ Interdisciplinary, Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany
| | - Barbara Stöckigt
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Luisenstraße 57, 10117, Berlin, Germany
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Selino S, Krawczyk R. Happiness with Circumcision Status, Not Status Itself, Predicts Genital Self-Image in a Geographically Diverse Sample. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:1525-1534. [PMID: 36745283 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02543-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Research exploring the impact of penile circumcision on aspects of body image is scarce and few studies have considered the potential roles of attitudinal factors toward one's own circumcision status. The purpose of the present study was to assess the potential relationship between one's circumcision status, happiness with circumcision status, genital self-image, and sexual functioning. The present study also examined how happiness with circumcision status varied across geographic regions. A total of 205 participants (102 circumcised, 103 not circumcised) completed a study through online recruitment methods. Participants reported being born in the United States (n = 80), Canada (n = 23), and various countries within Latin America (n = 22), Europe (n = 49), Asia (n = 13), Africa (n = 11), and Oceania (n = 7). Participants who were not circumcised reported significantly greater happiness with their circumcision status than participants who were circumcised. However, genital self-image, sexual body image, and sexual functioning did not significantly differ by circumcision status. Instead, participants who reported being happier with their circumcision status reported better genital self-image and less body exposure avoidance during sex, but sexual function did not differ by happiness. Although researchers hypothesized that happiness with circumcision status would depend on whether one fits in with the majority circumcision status within their region of origin, results did not support this. Participants who were circumcised tended to have less happiness with their circumcision status than non-circumcised participants regardless of region of birth. These findings support a small body of the literature which suggests that the psychosexual impact of penile circumcision may rely more on attitudinal factors toward circumcision status than actual circumcision status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Selino
- Department of Psychology, The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY, 12203, USA.
| | - Ross Krawczyk
- Department of Psychology, The College of Saint Rose, Albany, NY, 12203, USA
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Is it time for a time-out? Progress versus politics in studying the psychosexual implications of penile circumcision. Int J Impot Res 2022; 35:252-255. [PMID: 36042356 PMCID: PMC9427164 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-022-00608-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Earp BD. Genital Cutting as Gender Oppression: Time to Revisit the WHO Paradigm. FRONTIERS IN HUMAN DYNAMICS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fhumd.2022.778592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) condemns all medically unnecessary female genital cutting (FGC) that is primarily associated with people of color and the Global South, claiming that such FGC violates the human right to bodily integrity regardless of harm-level, degree of medicalization, or consent. However, the WHO does not condemn medically unnecessary FGC that is primarily associated with Western culture, such as elective labiaplasty or genital piercing, even when performed by non-medical practitioners (e.g., body artists) or on adolescent girls. Nor does it campaign against any form of medically unnecessary intersex genital cutting (IGC) or male genital cutting (MGC), including forms that are non-consensual or comparably harmful to some types of FGC. These and other apparent inconsistencies risk undermining the perceived authority of the WHO to pronounce on human rights. This paper considers whether the WHO could justify its selective condemnation of non-Western-associated FGC by appealing to the distinctive role of such practices in upholding patriarchal gender systems and furthering sex-based discrimination against women and girls. The paper argues that such a justification would not succeed. To the contrary, dismantling patriarchal power structures and reducing sex-based discrimination in FGC-practicing societies requires principled opposition to medically unnecessary, non-consensual genital cutting of all vulnerable persons, including insufficiently autonomous children, irrespective of their sex traits or socially assigned gender. This conclusion is based, in part, on an assessment of the overlapping and often mutually reinforcing roles of different types of child genital cutting—FGC, MGC, and IGC—in reproducing oppressive gender systems. These systems, in turn, tend to subordinate women and girls as well as non-dominant males and sexual and gender minorities. The selective efforts of the WHO to eliminate only non-Western-associated FGC exposes the organization to credible accusations of racism and cultural imperialism and paradoxically undermines its own stated goals: namely, securing the long-term interests and equal rights of women and girls in FGC-practicing societies.
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Villani M. Clitoral reconstruction: challenges and new directions. Int J Impot Res 2022; 35:196-201. [PMID: 35418603 PMCID: PMC10159845 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-022-00572-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Clitoral reconstruction (CR) has been the subject of several studies in recent years, mainly in the medical field. Women with female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) seek clitoral reconstructive surgery to improve their sexual well-being, but also because they are affected by poor self- and body image. CR is supposed to help women with FGM/C reconstruct their sense of self, but the benefits and risks of this surgery have not been sufficiently explored. There are currently no recommendations supporting CR from mainstream medical bodies, and there have been very few ethical studies of the procedure. This article critically discusses the principal studies produced in the medical field and available reflections produced in the social sciences. Through the theoretical frameworks of postcolonial and feminist studies, the article discusses sexuality and pleasure, gender and identity, and race and positionality, with the aim of promoting collaborative work on CR between researchers and social and health professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Villani
- HES-SO, School of Social Work Fribourg, Delémont, Switzerland.
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Tye MC, Sardi LM. Psychological, psychosocial, and psychosexual aspects of penile circumcision. Int J Impot Res 2022; 35:242-248. [PMID: 35347302 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-022-00553-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Policy statements on penile circumcision have focused primarily on disease, dysfunction, or sensation, with relatively little consideration of psychological and psychosocial implications of the procedure. There has also been minimal consideration of potential qualitative changes in the subjective experience of sexual activity following changes in penile anatomy (foreskin removal) or associated sexual biomechanics. We present a critical overview of literature on the psychological, psychosocial, and psychosexual implications of penile circumcision. We give consideration to differences among circumcisions performed in infancy, childhood, or adulthood. We also discuss potential psychosocial effects on parents electing, or failing to elect, circumcision for their children. We propose a framework for policy considerations and future research, recognizing that cultural context is particularly salient for the narratives individuals construct around penile circumcision, including both affected individuals and medical professionals who perform the surgeries. We argue that additional attention should be paid to the potential for long-term effects of the procedure that may not be properly considered when the patient is an infant or child.
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Charron M, Saulnier K, Palmour N, Gallois H, Joly Y. Intersex Stigma and Discrimination: Effects on Patient-Centred Care and Medical Communication. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS 2022. [DOI: 10.7202/1089782ar] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Earp BD. Protecting Children from Medically Unnecessary Genital Cutting Without Stigmatizing Women's Bodies: Implications for Sexual Pleasure and Pain. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:1875-1885. [PMID: 31965452 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01633-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Earp
- Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- The Hastings Center, Garrison, NY, USA.
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Furnas HJ, Canales FL, Pedreira RA, Comer C, Lin SJ, Banwell PE. The Safe Practice of Female Genital Plastic Surgery. PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY-GLOBAL OPEN 2021; 9:e3660. [PMID: 34249585 PMCID: PMC8263325 DOI: 10.1097/gox.0000000000003660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to guide surgeons in the safe practice of female genital plastic surgery when the number of such cases is steadily increasing. A careful review of salient things to look for in the patient's motivation, medical history, and physical examination can help the surgeon wisely choose best candidates. The anatomy is described, with particular attention given to the variations not generally described in textbooks or articles. Descriptions are included for labiaplasty, including clitoral hood reduction, majoraplasty, monsplasty, and perineoplasty with vaginoplasty. Reduction of anesthetic risks, deep venous thromboses, and pulmonary emboli are discussed, with special consideration for avoidance of nerve injury and compartment syndrome. Postoperative care of a variety of vulvovaginal procedures is discussed. Videos showing anatomic variations and surgical techniques of common female genital procedures with recommendations to reduce the complication rate are included in the article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J. Furnas
- From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif
- Plastic Surgery Associates, Santa Rosa, Calif
| | | | - Rachel A. Pedreira
- From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif
| | - Carly Comer
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
| | - Samuel J. Lin
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass
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Lampalzer U, Briken P, Schweizer K. 'That decision really was mine…'. Insider perspectives on health care controversies about intersex/diverse sex development. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2021; 23:472-483. [PMID: 33754954 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2021.1892828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
After 20 years of debate on intersex care, there has been a slight movement away from the paradigm of 'optimal gender' including early genital modification to conform to predicted gender identity towards a paradigm of 'full consent' including the provision of full information about the risks, benefits and alternatives to interventions and the postponement of irreversible interventions on minors too young to give informed consent. However, controversy continues. Against this background, the aim of this study was to analyse core aspects of current debates in intersex care. Focus was placed on controversies about surgery on external genitalia; gonadectomies; the expressed wishes of patients under the age of consent; and how to deal with intersex within the family. Eight guideline-based interviews were conducted with two people with intersex/diverse sex development conditions who had been subjected to surgery, two parents of children with an intersex/dsd condition, two medical doctors, and two psychologists. Data were analysed thematically. Findings indicate that while 'full consent' influenced actions and debate, the persons involved held differing opinions about how this policy can or should be achieved. In addition, the data illustrated how concepts such as normalcy, identity and sexuality are relevant when dealing with intersex issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ute Lampalzer
- Institute for Sex Research, Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Peer Briken
- Institute for Sex Research, Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Katinka Schweizer
- Institute for Sex Research, Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Earp BD, Shahvisi A, Reis-Dennis S, Reis E. The need for a unified ethical stance on child genital cutting. Nurs Ethics 2021; 28:1294-1305. [PMID: 33719736 DOI: 10.1177/0969733020983397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The American College of Nurse-Midwives, American Society for Pain Management Nursing, American Academy of Pediatrics, and other largely US-based medical organizations have argued that at least some forms of non-therapeutic child genital cutting, including routine penile circumcision, are ethically permissible even when performed on non-consenting minors. In support of this view, these organizations have at times appealed to potential health benefits that may follow from removing sexually sensitive, non-diseased tissue from the genitals of such minors. We argue that these appeals to "health benefits" as a way of justifying medically unnecessary child genital cutting practices may have unintended consequences. For example, it may create a "loophole" through which certain forms of female genital cutting-or female genital "mutilation" as it is defined by the World Health Organization-could potentially be legitimized. Moreover, by comparing current dominant Western attitudes toward female genital "mutilation" and so-called intersex genital "normalization" surgeries (i.e. surgeries on children with certain differences of sex development), we show that the concept of health invoked in each case is inconsistent and culturally biased. It is time for Western healthcare organizations-including the American College of Nurse-Midwives, American Society for Pain Management Nursing, American Academy of Pediatrics, and World Health Organization-to adopt a more consistent concept of health and a unified ethical stance when it comes to child genital cutting practices.
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Earp BD. Male or female genital cutting: why 'health benefits' are morally irrelevant. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2021; 47:medethics-2020-106782. [PMID: 33462078 DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2020-106782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The WHO, American Academy of Pediatrics and other Western medical bodies currently maintain that all medically unnecessary female genital cutting of minors is categorically a human rights violation, while either tolerating or actively endorsing medically unnecessary male genital cutting of minors, especially in the form of penile circumcision. Given that some forms of female genital cutting, such as ritual pricking or nicking of the clitoral hood, are less severe than penile circumcision, yet are often performed within the same families for similar (eg, religious) reasons, it may seem that there is an unjust double standard. Against this view, it is sometimes claimed that while female genital cutting has 'no health benefits', male genital cutting has at least some. Is that really the case? And if it is the case, can it justify the disparate treatment of children with different sex characteristics when it comes to protecting their genital integrity? I argue that, even if one accepts the health claims that are sometimes raised in this context, they cannot justify such disparate treatment. Rather, children of all sexes and genders have an equal right to (future) bodily autonomy. This includes the right to decide whether their own 'private' anatomy should be exposed to surgical risk, much less permanently altered, for reasons they themselves endorse when they are sufficiently mature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Earp
- Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy, Yale University and The Hastings Center, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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15
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Labiaplasty has grown in popularity, but it remains controversial. Few studies have quantified the change in specific symptomatology from before to after labiaplasty to establish its effectiveness in improving quality of life. METHODS In a prospective study, 62 patients undergoing labiaplasty completed written surveys privately in an examination room preoperatively and postoperatively about the presence of 11 physical and appearance-related symptoms. RESULTS Mean patient age was 33.5 years (range, 17 to 61 years). Two patients were of minority age. All patients presented with at least one symptom, averaging 6.5 (range, one to 11). Most (82.2 percent) had a trim labiaplasty, and the rest (17.7 percent) had a wedge. After labiaplasty, 93.5 percent of patients were symptom-free, with the average dropping to 0.23 of 11 symptoms. Symptom-prevalence changes from preoperatively to postoperatively included self-consciousness, dropping from 93 percent to 6.5 percent; tugging (from 66.1 percent to 0 percent); feeling less attractive (from 66.1 percent to 0 percent); negative impact on self-esteem (from 64.5 percent to 1.6 percent); negative impact on intimacy (from 62.5 percent to 0 percent); twisting (from 58.1 percent to 3.2 percent); being uncomfortable (from 56.5 percent to 4.8 percent); clothing restriction (from 54.8 percent to 3.2 percent); visible outline (from 46.8 percent to 1.6 percent); pain (from 43.5 percent to 1.6 percent); and exposure in swimsuits (from 38.7 percent to 1.6 percent). No major complications occurred. Two patients felt their labia were still too long and revision was offered. Average follow-up was 13.3 months (range, 6 to 24 months). CONCLUSIONS Patients with elongated labia have a high incidence of functional and appearance-related symptoms. Labiaplasty is a safe procedure that yields significant improvement in quality of life. CLINICAL QUESTIONS/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, IV.
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Interrogating the politicization of female genital cutting (FGC) within conditions of asymmetrical cultural convergence. A case study of Northern Ireland. WOMENS STUDIES INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wsif.2020.102391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Sorice-Virk S, Li AY, Canales FL, Furnas HJ. The Role of Pornography, Physical Symptoms, and Appearance in Labiaplasty Interest. Aesthet Surg J 2020; 40:876-883. [PMID: 31556940 DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjz254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reaffirming its 2007 opposition to labiaplasty in 2019, the procedure continues to be controversial. Particular emphasis on pornography as a major influencer on women seeking labiaplasty contributes to its controversy and distracts from other motivations. Few articles have established pornography's influence relative to functional and appearance-related symptoms. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to investigate the relative influence of pornography on women's decision to seek labiaplasty relative to other factors compared with a control cohort. METHODS In this prospective study, 124 consecutive patients consulting about labiaplasty and a control cohort of 50 women were questioned about 11 labia-related symptoms and the possible influence of pornography. RESULTS The mean age was 34.2 and 38.9 years in the labiaplasty and control cohorts, respectively. Women in the labiaplasty cohort had on average 2.8 of the 6 queried physical symptoms and 3.2 of the 5 queried appearance-related symptoms compared with control patients who reported an average of 0.3 of the 6 queried physical symptoms and 0.2 of the 5 queried appearance-related symptoms (P < 0.001). Less than one-half (47% of the labiaplasty and 42% of the control cohort) never viewed pornography. Pornography was not an influential factor to seek labiaplasty in 42% of the labiaplasty cohort and 54% of the control cohort. A minority (11% in the labiaplasty cohort and 4% in the control cohort) said that pornography influenced them to seek labiaplasty. There were no statistically significant differences between these 2 groups. CONCLUSION Pornography influences some women to seek labiaplasty, but relative to other motivating factors its role is minor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Sorice-Virk
- Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Alexander Y Li
- Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
| | | | - Heather J Furnas
- Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
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Goodman MP. Commentary on: The Role of Pornography, Physical Symptoms, and Appearance in Labiaplasty Interest. Aesthet Surg J 2020; 40:884-886. [PMID: 32011672 DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjz375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Goodman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, California Northstate University School of Medicine, Elk Grove, CA
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Karlsen S, Carver N, Mogilnicka M, Pantazis C. 'Putting salt on the wound': a qualitative study of the impact of FGM-safeguarding in healthcare settings on people with a British Somali heritage living in Bristol, UK. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e035039. [PMID: 32554738 PMCID: PMC7304797 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This research documents the experiences of people with Somali heritage with female genital mutilation (FGM)-safeguarding services in healthcare and whether such services are considered appropriate by the people who encounter them. DESIGN Six focus groups conducted with ethnic Somalis living in Bristol, during the summer of 2018, divided by gender and whether people had experienced FGM-safeguarding as adults or children.SettingParticipants experienced FGM-safeguarding in primary and secondary care. PARTICIPANTS 30 people (21 women and 9 men), identified through local organisations or snowball sampling. All participants were of Somali heritage and aged over 18. RESULTS Government priorities to support those who have experienced female genital cutting/mutilation (FGC/M) are being undermined by their own approaches to protect those considered at risk. Participants argued that approaches to FGM-safeguarding were based on outdated stereotypes and inaccurate evidence which encouraged health and other service providers to see every Somali parent as a potential perpetrator of FGC/M. Female participants described providers in a range of healthcare settings, including Accident and Emergency Departments (A&E), antenatal care and general practice, as 'fixated' with FGC/M, who ignored both their health needs and their experience as victims. Participants felt stigmatised and traumatised by their experience. This undermined their trust in health services, producing a reticence to seek care, treatment delays and reliance on alternative sources of care. Associated recommendations include developing more accurate evidence of risk, more appropriate education for healthcare providers and more collaborative approaches to FGM-safeguarding. CONCLUSION All the participants involved in this study are committed to the eradication of FGC/M. But the statutory approaches currently adopted to enable this are considered ill-conceived, unnecessarily heavy-handed and ultimately detrimental to this. Recognising these common aims can enable the development of services better able to protect and support those at risk of FGC/M in ways which are culturally competent and sensitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saffron Karlsen
- Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Natasha Carver
- School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Magda Mogilnicka
- School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Pantazis
- Centre for the Study of Poverty & Social Justice, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Earp BD, Johnsdotter S. Current critiques of the WHO policy on female genital mutilation. Int J Impot Res 2020; 33:196-209. [PMID: 32457498 DOI: 10.1038/s41443-020-0302-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the dominant Western discourse on "female genital mutilation" (FGM) has increasingly been challenged by scholars. Numerous researchers contest both the terminology used and the empirical claims made in what has come to be called "the standard tale" of FGM (also termed "female genital cutting" [FGC]). The World Health Organization (WHO), a major player in setting the global agenda on this issue, maintains that all medically unnecessary cutting of the external female genitalia, no matter how slight, should be banned as torture and a violation of the human right to bodily integrity. However, the WHO targets only non-Western forms of female-only genital cutting, raising concerns about gender bias and cultural imperialism. Here, we summarize ongoing critiques of the WHO's terminology, ethicolegal assumptions, and empirical claims, including the claim that non-Western FGC as such constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. To this end, we highlight recent comparative studies of medically unnecessary genital cutting of all types, including those affecting adult women and teenagers in Western societies, individuals with differences of sex development (DSD), transgender persons, and males. In so doing, we attempt to clarify the grounds for a growing critical consensus that current anti-FGM laws and policies may be ethically incoherent, empirically unsupportable, and legally unsustainable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Earp
- Associate Director, Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA. .,The Hastings Center, Garrison, New York, NY, 10524, USA.
| | - Sara Johnsdotter
- Professor of Medical Anthropology, Faculty of Health and Society, Centre for Sexology and Sexuality Studies, Malmö University, SE-205 06, Malmö, Sweden
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Sharif Mohamed F, Wild V, Earp BD, Johnson-Agbakwu C, Abdulcadir J. Clitoral Reconstruction After Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review of Surgical Techniques and Ethical Debate. J Sex Med 2020; 17:531-542. [PMID: 31932257 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2019.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Clitoral reconstruction (CR) is a controversial surgical procedure performed for women who have undergone medically unnecessary, often ritualistic genital cutting involving the clitoris. Such cutting is known by several terms; we will use female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Treatments offered to women affected by complications of FGM/C include defibulation (releasing the scar of infibulation to allow penetrative intercourse, urinary flow, physiological delivery, and menstruation) and CR to decrease pain, improve sexual response, and create a pre-FGM/C genital appearance. AIM In this study, our aim is to summarize the medical literature regarding CR techniques and outcomes, and stimulate ethical discussion surrounding potential adverse impacts on women who undergo the procedure. METHODS A broad literature review was carried out to search any previous peer-reviewed publications regarding the techniques and ethical considerations for CR. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The main outcome measure includes benefits, risks, and ethical analysis of CR. RESULTS While we discuss the limited evidence regarding the risks and efficacy of CR, we did not find any peer-reviewed reports focused on ethical implications to date. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS CR can be indicated as a treatment for pain and potential improvement of associated sexual dysfunction when these have not responded to more conservative measures. Women must be appropriately informed about the risks of CR and the lack of strong evidence regarding potential benefits. They must be educated about their genital anatomy and disabused of any myths surrounding female sexual function as well as assessed and treated in accordance with the current scientific evidence and best clinical practices. STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS This is the first formal ethical discussion surrounding CR. This is not a systematic review, and the ethical discussion of CR has only just begun. CONCLUSION We present a preliminary ethical analysis of the procedure and its potential impact on women with FGM/C. Sharif Mohamed F, Wild V, Earp BD, et al. Clitoral Reconstruction After Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review of Surgical Techniques and Ethical Debate. J Sex Med 2020;17:531-542.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Sharif Mohamed
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maricopa Integrated Health System, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Verina Wild
- Institute of Ethics, History and Theory of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Brian D Earp
- Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy, Yale University and The Hastings Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Crista Johnson-Agbakwu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maricopa Integrated Health System, Phoenix, AZ, USA; Office of Refugee Health, Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Jasmine Abdulcadir
- Department of Woman, Child and Adolescent, Division of Gynecology, Geneva University Hospitals, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Medically Unnecessary Genital Cutting and the Rights of the Child: Moving Toward Consensus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOETHICS 2019; 19:17-28. [PMID: 31557092 DOI: 10.1080/15265161.2019.1643945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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