'''Female Genital Mutilation''' (FGM), sometimes referred to as "female [[circumcision]]", refers to various forms of permanent and harmful operations performed on girls or women, primarily for religious or traditional reasons in some cultures.
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Female genital mutilation is extremely rare in the English-speaking world, but is widely practised in parts of [[Asia]], the [[Middle East]], and East [[Africa]], especially where traditionalist and [[fundamentalist]] [[Islam]] predominates. The mutilation is usually carried out when the girl is young or [[adolescent]], often forcibly and against her wishes. It can cause many potential genito-urinary complications, including infection, urinary incontinence, and increased risk of problems during future childbirth.
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==References==
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World Health Organisation on [http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/ Female Genital Mutilation]