This paper examines the attitudes of circumcised women towards female circumcision in a community where the practice is in vogue. Also described are the type of circumcision performed, who usually performs the circumcision and complications. One hundred volunteers across the social strata were interviewed by means of a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using frequency tables. The study revealed that 62% of respondents favoured the practice as an instrument for the control of female sexuality and maintenance of cultural pride. Circumcision (...) is mainly by excision of the clitoris and the labia minora performed mainly by traditional birth attendants. Complications include severe pain, difficulty with urination and excessive bleeding. Based on the findings, it is suggested that communities where femal genital mutilation is practised as a social norm should be involved in any eradication campaign, with the support of national and international organisations. Research is also essential to understand FGM in order to design effective reforms. (shrink)

Here, Erich H. Loewy expands on his earlier book Textbook of Medical Ethics (1989) offering healthcare workers and students a new perspective on ethical practice. Textbook of Healthcare Ethics focuses on the social conditions in which medical practice occurs and how ethical healthcare decisions involves nurses, social workers, psychologists, technicians, and patients as well as physicians. This thoroughly revised and expanded edition addresses historical and theoretical underpinnings and practical concerns. A series of case studies serve as a guideline for further (...) discussion. The text examines provocative issues such as organ donation, care of the terminally ill, abortion, HIV-positive healthcare professionals, physician-assisted suicide, and experimentation with fetal tissue. This is an ideal book for all members of the healthcare team as well as students and residents in any discipline of medicine. (shrink)