97% of Egyptian Women Have Had Their Clits Hacked Off

From Path.org:

Female Genital Mutilation – The Facts

Compiled by Laura Reymond, Asha Mohamud, and Nancy Ali. Funding was provided by the Wallace Global Fund.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia.¹ External genitals include the clitoris, labia, mons pubis (the fatty tissue over the pubic bone), and the urethral and vaginal openings.
The practice of FGM is often called "female circumcision" (FC), implying that it is similar to male circumcision. However, the degree of cutting is much more extensive, often impairing a woman's sexual and reproductive functions.²
Newborns, Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Are Affected

• Most girls undergo FGM when they are between 7 and 10 years old.⁴ However, FGM seems to be occurring at earlier ages in several countries because parents want to reduce the trauma to their children. They also want to avoid government interference and/or resistance from children as they get older and form their own opinions.⁵
• Some women undergo FGM during early adulthood when marrying into a community that practices FGM or just before or after the birth of a first child (Mali and Nigeria).⁶

FGM is Practiced Globally

• FGM is practiced in at least 26 of 43 African countries⁷; the prevalence varies from 98 percent in Somalia to 5 percent in Zaire. A review of country-specific Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) shows FGM prevalence rates of 97 percent in Egypt⁸, 94.5 percent in Eritrea⁹, 93.7 percent in Mali ¹⁰, 89.2 percent in Sudan ¹¹, and 43.4 percent in the Central African Republic.¹²
• FGM is also found among some ethnic groups in Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, as well as in parts of India, Indonesia, and Malaysia.¹³
• FGM has become an important issue in Australia, Canada, England, France, and the United States due to the continuation of the practice by immigrants from countries where FGM is common.¹⁴

There Are Four Types of FGM
In 1995, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed four broad categories for FGM operations.¹⁵
Type 1

Excision (removal) of the clitoral hood with or without removal of part or all of the clitoris.
Type 2
Removal of the clitoris together with part or all of the labia minora.
Type 3 (infibulation)
Removal of part or all of the external genitalia (clitoris, labia minora, and labia majora) and stitching and/or narrowing of the vaginal opening leaving a small hole for urine and menstrual flow.
Type 4 (unclassified)
All other operations on the female genitalia, including:

• Pricking, piercing, stretching, or incision of the clitoris and/or labia;
• Cauterization by burning the clitoris and surrounding tissues;
• Incisions to the vaginal wall;
• Scraping (angurya cuts) or cutting (gishiri cuts) of the vagina and surrounding tissues; and
• Introduction of corrosive substances or herbs into the vagina.

Type I and Type II operations account for 85 percent of all FGM. Type III (infibulation) is common in Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan and in parts of Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal.¹⁶
Complications Are Common and Can Lead to Death
The highest maternal and infant mortality rates are in FGM-practicing regions.¹⁷ The actual number of girls who die as a result of FGM is not known. However, in areas in the Sudan where antibiotics are not available, it is estimated that one-third of the girls undergoing FGM will die.¹⁸ Conservative estimates suggest that more than one million women in Centrafrican Republic (CAR), Egypt, and Eritrea, the only countries where such data is available, experienced adverse health effects from FGM.¹⁹ One quarter of women in CAR and 1/5 of women in Eritrea reported FGM-related complications.²⁰ Where medical facilities are ill-equipped, emergencies arising from the practice cannot be treated. Thus, a child who develops uncontrolled bleeding or infection after FGM may die within hours.²¹
Immediate Physical Problems

• Intense pain and/or hemorrhage that can lead to shock during and after the procedure. A 1985 Sierra Leone study found that nearly 97 percent of the 269 women interviewed experienced intense pain during and after FGM, and more than 13 percent went into shock.²²
• Hemorrhage can also lead to anemia.
• Wound infection, including tetanus. A survey in a clinic outside of Freetown (Sierra Leone) showed that of 100 girls who had FGM, 1 died and 12 required hospitalization. Of the 12 hospitalized, 10 suffered from bleeding and 5 from tetanus.²⁴ Tetanus is fatal in 50 to 60 percent of all cases.²⁵
• Damage to adjoining organs from the use of blunt instruments by unskilled operators. According to a 1993 nationwide study in the Sudan, this occurs approximately 0.3 percent of the time. ²⁶
• Urine retention from swelling and/or blockage of the urethra.