Linked Life Data

18192768

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/18192768

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2008-1-14
pubmed:abstractText
Female genital cutting (FGC) is an ancient tradition unbounded by religion and practiced primarily in Africa and the regions to which Africans have immigrated. All types of FGC involve cutting neural innervation to the vulva: the clitoris, labia majora and minora. Most types include excision of the clitoris. Since the tissue of the vulva is highly innervated by nerves and their endings, I postulate here that the brain and spinal cord will respond to FGC as it would to any loss of neural targets or inputs: by rearranging neural networks. This, in turn, would affect neural signaling to target structures and modify sensory perception. Most scientific investigations of FGC have focused on its reproductive consequences. To fully appreciate its effects on the lives of women, however, an understanding beyond the reproductive system is necessary. Exploring the potential neural changes of FGC may help explain the mixed responses of the women themselves and identify new directions for research to understand their lives. A neurobiological analysis may also help us understand how cultural practices inscribe meaning on central nervous system structures, affecting mind as well as body.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0031-5982
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
51
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
84-97
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2008
pubmed:articleTitle
From body to brain: considering the neurobiological effects of female genital cutting.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. gillian.einstein@utoronto.ca
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article