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From: ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Clitor(id)ectomy  (Re: Law and Christianity (sort of))
Message-ID: <1073@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 8-Mar-85 15:33:59 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.1073
Posted: Fri Mar  8 15:33:59 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Mar-85 05:40:44 EST
References: <156@osiris.UUCP> <205@rtech.ARPA> <1067@utastro.UUCP> <1269@ut-sally.UUCP>
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 28

> > > >                                        ...the clitorectomy, the removal
> > > > of a girl's clitoris to greatly reduce her future pleasure in sex (don't
> > > > want them to ahve any fun. now do we ?). This is still practiced in many
> > > > African and Near Eastern cultures...
> > > 
> > > Does anyone know what reasons (excuses) such societies state for their
> > > practice of clitorectomy?
> > 
> > I have heard two excuses.  The first is that it reduces the probability
> > of adultery...
> 
> I wish I had some references to back my recollection up, but I seem to
> recall reading about at least one area in Africa where the practice is
> common where the folk belief is almost exactly the opposite: clitoridectomy
> is held to   e n h a n c e   a woman's sexual pleasure, and adolescent
> girls are expected to go through a period of intense and promiscuous sexual
> activity immediately after going through the rites of passage that included
> clitoridectomy.  Very hard to believe, I know, but that's a claim I've read.
> 
At this point I think we do need references, or some knowledgeable netters.
I think that there are various degrees of clitorectomy practiced.  Perhaps
some of them, like male circumcision, do not affect sexual function.  Radical
clitorectomy surely must.

"Don't argue with a fool.      Ethan Vishniac
 Borrow his money."            {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan

*Anyone who wants to claim these opinions is welcome to them.*