Reply #15: It's far more than suppression of the female orgasm.

[Straight Shooter]

Young girls get lifelong infections from this "ritual" which is often performed by an elder village woman who uses the same knife from girl to girl. The girls can hear the screams of the ones undergoing the unanesthetized procedure. Some young girls die. Many are left with physical problems that cause painful sexual intercourse for the rest of their lives.

Some "modern" women have their daughters circumcised in hospitals, with anesthetic. That's better for their health and of course to avoid the agonizing pain, but the message is still clear: you have no right to enjoy your sexuality and your femaleness is inherently evil.

It's brutal, it's heinous, and although I think all cultures have the right to their own beliefs, the circumcision of girls is just beyond the pale.