The Ritual Use of Herbs for Female Genital Modifications (FGMo) in Africa

Abstract

Different herbs are commonly used in Africa during traditional practices connected to female genital modifications (FGMo) -expansive (genital stretching) and reductive forms (infibulation). The herbal component is an integral part of ritual genital stretching, often carried out in the grassy ground. Usually, these herbs act as lubricants and/or anesthetics to help labial manipulation. In the reductive forms of FGMo (i.e., infibulation), post-intervention herbal compresses, with hemostatic and cicatrizing functions, are placed on the wound. In particular, in the infibulation ritual, substances emitting marked aromatic perfumes are used. In Somalia, in the ùnsi ceremony, incense and myrrh are burned; in Sudan, in the dukhàn ceremony, sandal and acacia woods. These are the specific smoke ceremonies purifying women. In both expansive and reductive FGMo, a deep knowledge about the local herbs is reported, which connects the present African populations with those of the past, from which they probably inherited the knowledge and the utilization of FGMo interventions.

Female Genital Modifications in Malawi

“…As a matter of fact, they are not real mutilations, but more precisely manipulations, mostly of an expansive nature. Thus, we prefer to adopt the term female genital modifications (FGMo) 2 to define them. In addition to these expansive types of FGMos, in Malawi a "reductive" FGM has been observed, i.e., clitoridectomy (Group 2), 15,16,22 which would occur among the Lomwe.…”

“…For comparison's sake, we added information from fieldwork in Uganda in 2002. 2,5,6 All the material was gathered either directly in English or in the Chichewa language and translated into English.…”

“…2 The Ugandan woman told a gynecologist and a psychologist visiting her that she had problems wearing underwear and pants and being seated was uncomfortable. Ulcers were forming on the manipulated area, which caused discomfort during intercourse, irritation and pain during urination.…”