By Adesuwa Ewoigbokhan

Young couple lying on bed smiling

Circumcision is the traditional cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia or a partial injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons (WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA 1997). This procedure is usually carried out by a primitive circumciser days after birth to puberty. The core reason for this exercise, is deeply based in the effort to curb sexual desires, and conceptions about purity, modesty and beauty. Older women who see it as a form of honour, are  scared that if their daughters are not circumcised, it would expose them to social rejections.
According to WHO, the procedure is generally tied to beliefs about acceptable sexual behaviour, meant to deter promiscuity and strip women of erotic desire or sexual enjoyment.
There are side effects health-wise depending on the method that is adopted. These could include infections, difficulty in urinating and passing of menstrual flow, chronic pain, the development of cysts, infertility, complications during childbirth, shock or even death. It can be a suppressed torture throughout the victim’s life. However, there are no known health gains.
Due to the taboo nature of lady’s  sexuality, issues like this is most time ignored or overlooked. Women circumcision also referred to as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is a common practice in most African countries and few others outside the continent. Nigeria is not an exception as about one quarter of the ladies are circumcised. Though  it has been banned in Nigeria since May 15th, 2015, efforts are still being made to create awareness about it and to help promote and build self esteem among victims.
Most circumcised women are strongly of the belief, that they cannot obtain any form of sexual pleasures and excitement. However, in some infibulated women, erectile structures that are  responsible for achieving orgasm, have been tampered with. A woman has the moral justification to sexual health and also experience sexual pleasures for full psychological well being. Hence, a female mutilated person with sexual dysfunctions, are very free to seek cure by going for proper sexual therapy, and also get their men educated about female anatomy and sexual pleasures.
If a circumcised woman is not enjoying sex, it can be as  a result of the following;
a) She is not excited enough, so spend quality time on foreplay.
b) There is tendency for her to be tense as such she does not contract the muscles around the vagina- practice relaxation exercise, exerts pressure and pretend you want to pee, feel how the vagina opens.
c) Lastly, the left over hymen can cause pain. So try to locate where the pain is, in order to manage it in the best way possible.
On a more lighter note, the best way to increase sexual pleasures for circumcised women is for them to know their bodies. They should take time to touch their bodies and discover other areas where they be easily aroused when touched and pass the information to their spouses.

Self touching can be carried out by the use of one’s fingers, or any sex toys. This act can increase greater sexual satisfaction, more sexual fantasies and greater ease in reaching sexual arousal and orgasm.

The simple truth is that, ladies who took their time to study as it partakes to the sex organs and how it functions,find it easier to achieve sexual connection with their spouses. In the same vein, a man who is well informed about the female body, will be able to figure out how to please his lady.

Studies have shown that, the above mechanism is a positive component in  the structuring of female sexuality. Most women who have gone through circumcision, usually, complain of pain during mating, for some others, they find corpulation tiresome and unpleasant. A 2007 report by Sexual Medicine suggests that in many women who have been cut, some of the fundamental structures needed for orgasm remain intact and that most women in the study, reported being able to achieve orgasm as well as  that of arousal and sexual satisfaction. It is all about the mindset. Most times, this can involve the women talking to their spouses about what works and what does not, in other words, the women should know their bodies, let there be more understanding and try to communicate more with your partner.