WOMEN who are “circumcised” tend to lose their virginity younger, are more likely to initiate sex and suffer more health problems, a Nigerian study has shown. So far from reducing sexual activity and promoting sexual health, as traditionalists argue, genital mutilation has the opposite effect.
The findings may prove invaluable in future campaigns against the practice, says lead author Friday Okonofua of the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre in Benin.
“It is nice to have scientific confirmation of what we have believed all along: that female circumcision is a pointless, barbaric act,” says Zahrah Awaleh of Forward, a London-based group campaigning against discriminatory practices.…
