The World Health Organization estimates that two million girls a year are circumcised, their genitalia cut in a traditional rite of passage that is so ancient, no one really knows when it began.
Female circumcision is meant to usher a girl into womanhood, preserve her virginity, and ready her for marriage. But the time-honored practice is also dangerous. Girls can bleed to death, contract HIV/Aids, or later on suffer during menstruation and intercourse. International calls to ban the practice have failed, no match for the pull of tradition.
Obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Nawal Nour works at the crossroads of culture and medicine, treating and educating circumcised women, but withholding judgment about the beliefs and the history that keeps this practice alive.
Guests:
Dr. Nawal Nour, MacArthur Fellow.