Letter to Joy dated December 5,2005

Dear Joy,
Hey how's it going. I feel as if I haven't written you in a while and feel like I should. HOWEVER, this letter has need of warnings. I'm going to write about excisions, because it's a brick wall I'm up against and today I weitnessed the prodct of one. So the following is graphic and I'll rate it NC-17.

It's against the law in Burkina to perform excisions. It's been against the law for the past ten years, but in my region almost 100% and their children are excised, both men and women. Depending on the ethnicity, there aare different methods and practices for excision. Some do it within a month after the baby is born, others do it at puberty and others do it right before marriage.

For men, it's typically the removal of foreskin and that's all. For women, it's much more insidious and harsh.

One type is just the removal, partial or whole of the clitoris. Another includes the clitoris and the inner folds, partial or whole. And another yet worse, is the removal of all of the above and then the sewing together of the outer folds. This third one is the most dangerous because it effectively closes off everything except the vagina, causing urinary infections for most of the women's life.

Each of the above can cause the death of a newborn due to excessive bleeding from the cuts if they happen to hit an artery. Let alone the effets of scar tissue blocking the urinary opening and or damaging the vagina.

Each one also can cause spontaneous abortions from infections during the pregnancies. During childbith, the damage caused, as a result of having been excised as a child, to the mother is honestly appalling.

A woman' body goes through enough abuse during a normal natural childbirth, that bleeding and tearning of tissue is a given. However, due to the seewing of the outerfolds, a woman excised in such a way veritably is risking her life and the baby's. I'm not going to describe the damage because that's too much and it's gratuitous, but you can imagine.

Today, I saw a woman at the maternity with such an excision. It became a grave concerrn to both the mid-wives and they discussed the implicatiions for a while with the mother to let her know what to expect, to say the least she was shaken, but knew she could do nothing about it. It probably occurred when she was an infant and she doesn't even understand what happened.

There are so many things about this tradition that PISS ME OFF. The men think it makes a woman more attractive, but they want it also because they know it prevents any pleasure during sex on the woman's behalf. Thus, she'll be less likely to want to have sex with other men and won't cheat on them. They think a woman who isn't excised will want sex all the time like men and won't be faithful. However, it's culturally fine for a man to have several mistresses or girlfirends - Oh the reasons to stay gay just keep coming.

The real kicker to finish this off, is with AIDS. Because women can't get sexually arounsed during sex beause they feel nothing, they stay dry. Therefore, no lubication and thus during sex, the walls of the vagina tear and bleed, which allow for easier transmissiion of STDS and AIDS. Women are 4 times as likel to have AIDS transmitted to them as men normally but due to excision the probability increases. FUCKING ASSHOLES!!! I get so mad thinking about what this culture is doing to their women and how women allow, no encourage, other women to be excised, too!!! UGH.

The other aspect that also annoys me is no talks about sex, SIDA, or excision. It's too taboo. All the chiefs and community leaders will say "Yes it's bad", but they won't do jack about changing peoples practices. They're still in the mindset of tradition is as tradition does.

I have to ask permission of all the community leaders before I even mention of talk about excision here. It's a long, slow, climb up a slippery hill and no one wants to help. Even though it's against the law.

Women and their daughters don't even talk to each other about starting thier periods or what happens to our body. Many kids don't even know what sex is until their wedding night. How do you break this silence? You become the NASARA (me-whitey from out of town) who doesn't have any village ethnicity to relate to and talk like you know everything about sex and the human body and you hopefully gain their trust. WELL, I hope that's what happens. Sometimes I think I can and other times I don't know if it will ever happen. These people want change, but are really afraid to go about it. It should be my greatest challenge while I'm here, and the source of much frustration.

I hope you can post this extensive lettter, I'm sorry it's so long. However, this subject is much on m mind and causes me the most perplexion.

Sorry you received this graphic letter, but I felt you could read and withstand the harsh depiction as well as anyone I know.

I hope you and Elbert are doing well otherwise. I miss you both a great deal and I hope to see you again soon.

Love

Laura
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