The heartbreaking phrase “female genital mutilation” is mostly unknown in the United States. However, many countries and cultures around the world are very familiar with the term. Female genital mutilation refers to the partial or total removal of the external genitalia of young women and girls. This tradition is maintained for numerous non-medical reasons, which can vary greatly in different cultures. For example, some cultures use female genital mutilation to improve appearance and hygiene, while others believe that this practice helps increase fertility. Some cultures even go so far as to practice female genital mutilation for gruesome reasons, such as trying to keep women's sexuality under control. Female genital mutilation is a source of extreme controversy regarding psychological repercussions, cultural differences and human rights. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay According to the website 28toomany.org, over two hundred million women and girls alive today, most of them African, have been affected by female genital mutilation. This procedure is known to occur during different developmental stages, such as immediately after birth, between the ages of two and five, just before marriage, and occasionally after marriage. The process of female genital mutilation does not involve the use of anesthesia and often uses sharp objects such as kitchen knives and razor blades, as well as tin lids and broken glass. Even though this method seems unbearably painful, many women today claim to be perfectly fine after undergoing such operations. Regardless of what these women might insist, can they really be psychologically healthy? The social, emotional and psychological aspects of an individual constantly influence the way they think, feel and act. Mental health is critical from childhood and adolescence through adulthood, and is just as important as physical health. Unfortunately, there is little knowledge about the psychological effects of female genital mutilation on girls and women. In 2015, a psychologist and three health researchers decided to examine the demographic, psychosocial, and mental health status of immigrant women with genital mutilation who arrived from Africa in the United States. After selecting sixty-six individuals and assigning specific questionnaires, such as Harvard Trauma Questionnaire-30, COPE-Easy, Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, and Lowlands Acculturation Scale, these experts analyzed the data and came to a conclusion. The results of this study indicated that one-third of respondents scored above the cutoff for affective or anxiety disorders, with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) present in nearly 18% of the women tested. Furthermore, women who had a vivid memory of mutilation, who used the avoidance coping style, or who had a low income were strongly linked to psychopathology. Some may argue that a single questionnaire with just sixty-six participants is not sufficient to reach a completely accurate conclusion about the psychological repercussions of female genital mutilation. It is true that a test cannot explain every single possibility or response in an experiment. However, if a sample is interviewed very carefully and consists of all types of people, the sample of selected individuals will reflect the entire population with a difference of 3-5%. Others may argue that some of these psychological problems may already existpre-existing in each of the women tested. This hypothesis may also be true, but the PTSD found in many of the women questioned had to result from a traumatic or life-changing event. Another controversial topic of female genital mutilation discusses cultural reasoning, factors, and differences regarding the female genital mutilation procedure. In Eastern Europe, South America, twenty-nine African countries, and many other Western countries that practice female genital mutilation, the main factor driving participation is social pressure. The fear of being rejected in their community pushes many women to carry out this practice without discussion. In some cultures, female genital mutilation is also associated with hygiene, modesty and femininity. This notion suggests that girls are beautiful and clean once this “dirty” and “unfeminine” part of their body is removed. Furthermore, in the article “Female Genital Mutilation” it is stated that many cultures even go so far as to believe that female genital mutilation reduces a woman's libido, helping her to resist the temptation of predeserving sex. It could be argued that female genital mutilation is no different from any other cultural activity; it could also be compared to male circumcision practiced in the United States. Although this procedure is performed for cultural reasons, it is not even remotely similar to male circumcision. Male circumcision involves the removal of the foreskin of the penis for a number of good reasons, such as reducing the risk of urinary tract infections, preventing foreskin dysfunction, and protecting against penile cancer. Female genital mutilation, however, includes the removal of part or all of the clitoris without any real health benefits. In fact, female genital mutilation falls under the description of an “unjust or corrupt practice,” also known as abuse. Further debate on female genital mutilation speaks to the fundamental human rights of an individual. Human rights are rights that are believed to rightly belong to every person, such as the right to life, liberty and independence, the right to live a life free from discrimination, and an individual's right to control what happens to his or her own body . According to the report “Questions and Answers on Female Genital Mutilation”, female genital mutilation violates numerous human rights of women and children, including the right to live a life free from violence, non-discrimination and physical integrity, and to be free from inhuman and cruel treatment. It is also inferred that female genital mutilation is a form of attempt to control the female body. As stated by the online blog “Female Genital Mutilation,” when a cultural tradition is forced on a girl at such a young age, it becomes a “helpless cycle.” Once the procedure is fully understood by an adolescent, it is often too late to do anything (Letti, 2008). Some people may argue that female genital mutilation does not fall into the category of human rights violations. Many women who have undergone female genital mutilation believe this statement to be true, but further research suggests that these individuals are merely attempting to banish feelings of inferiority. For example, the online page known as “NOHARMM” claims that many women have testified that female genital mutilation has caused them no harm and, in fact, has brought them benefits. These proclamations, such as: “Our mothers, aunts and sisters have been doing this for years and no one has complained” and “They (the parents) don't want her to suffer the.