Why FGM is NOT like castration.

Time and again people make the argument that FGM is like male castration rather than circumcision. This is a little guide as to how to prove that it is not remotely close to castration. Claiming they are similar not only belittles the severity of circumcision but also exaggerates the already great danger of FGM. It's very important not to make exaggerated claims, people can easily dispute them. (This is true for all genital mutilation)


For starters, castration is removal of the testicles or ovaries. That is the definition of castration. So calling FGM female castration is incorrect from the most basic standpoint.

Dictionary definition of castration

That deals with the tecnical terms. Now for why they are not physically comparable.

We know that FGM is a very damaging practice. The severest form removes all external genitalia and sews the remaining flesh closed. It's important to note that only 15% of all FGM involves this severe form but as this is the one most likely to be compared to male castration, we'll look at this form. As the procedure in either sex carries similar risks of infection and death, we'll only look at the long term effects.

The effects of the most severe form of FGM can range from difficulties urinating to lifelong discomfort or pain, recurrent infections and extreme difficulties during labour, which can result in the baby being brain damaged or dying during labour. It can result in hemmoraghing in the mother, this can result in death. In general, it prevents sexual pleasure and makes sex itself very difficult and even very painful. It does not remove the natural desire for sex but instead the ability to enjoy sex, so quells the want.

The effects of male castration are very different and a lot more damaging to the body. Many people mistakenly believe that it simply removes the desire for sex. On a very basic level, it does but it also entirely removes the ability to ever reproduce. A man who is castrated will never be able to father a child. There are many more severe complications from castration though. The interruption of testosterone production causes severe hormonal problems which result in many complicated physical and mental problems. Testosterone affects the control of almost every system. As well as the sexual and reproductive effects, it causes severe growth deformaties, mental disturbances and shortened lifespan. Many other systems in the body are affected negatively and quite dangerously.

Castration and FGM affect the body in very different ways. FGM is purely external and creates pain and problems as a result but castration causes severe internal, skeletal and mental issues.


wiki link to some of the medical consequences of castration

Effects of testosterone removal caused by castration

This page was created by a man who is castrated and goes into great detail of the consequences
Eunuch Info

i've heard comparisons that the male foreskin is analagous to simply the clitoral hood in females.

HOWEVER, the more i think about it, i believe the labia MUST be included in this comparison.

for example one function of the foreskin is to protect the urethra, from which both urination and reproductive functions occur.

the clitoral hood doesn't do either of these things, but the labia do.

Are you speaking of labia in general? Because I still cant figure out the function of labia minora!!

i would say the function of the labia minora is definitely protection. (and pleasure, not only the nerves on the inner lining, but as well, the tugging action of the labia as a penis is thrust in and out of the vagina can cause stimulation of the clitoris)


however, although i mostly meant minora in terms of providing protection, i realize that the labia majora play a large part in providing the same protection.

its more difficult to compare the body parts that it initially seems!

but i do think that it would be more than just the clitoral hood, if you were to compare the foreskin to the female genitalia.

I guess that does make sense. So maybe foreskin = clitoral hood, + labia minora? I wonder how many nerve endings are in the minora....would be interesting to know.

i think so.

i mean, the foreskin protects the the urethra, which is what the labia minora do. the foreskin protects the glans, which is what the clitoral hood does.


there are definitely some aesthetic similaries between them as well.


i would also be curious to know about the number of nerve endings in the labia minora.


i would like to know about nerve ending numbers in ALL genital regions. there really needs to be a better way of testing that then the current method.

Very good articles, I didn't know that people made that comparison before. Definitely a huge priority to educate people on the area, most people don't bother to get the information and just make wild statements without basis, which gets really frustrating.

It's one that gets thrown around a lot by people who try to justify MGM by claiming that it's not comparable to FGM in any way.