The notion of ablation has its origin in the Latin word ablatio. Its most usual meaning describes the consequence of making a cut, carrying out a separation or simply removing something.
In the field of medicine, it refers specifically to the separation or removal of an organ or part of the body structure. In this sense, it should be noted that the ablation takes place within the framework of an excision or surgical intervention. In general, ablation is understood as the operation by means of which the organs and tissues of a deceased subject can be removed for the purpose of transplanting them to another person. As established by official procedures, the organs that have been removed are kept in containers at low temperatures, in sterile conditions and with preservative fluids. The tissues, meanwhile, have different forms of conservation.
In geology, ablation is the kind of erosion that undergoes relief due to the power of physical or chemical processes (continental ablation). On the other hand, glacial ablation is characterized by describing the loss of mass suffered by glaciers due to melting, sublimation or breakage of icebergs.
Violence, horror and sexism
One of the most ancient customs and one that wreaks most havoc on the female gender in the African continent are the initiation rites, which consist of clitoral ablation (a practice also known as female genital mutilation), either absolute or partial in girls of no over seven years. This operation is extremely painful and its sole objective is to maintain customs and “save” girls from a promiscuous life. It is estimated that, in Africa, more than 100 million women currently live after undergoing this process.
The most extreme modality of this kind of ablation is pharaonic circumcision or infibulation, which is based on the complete removal of both the clitoris and the lips, both major and minor, in addition to including posterior stitching on both sides of the vulva with wire, thread fish or pasta that is prepared in-house and works as glue. Only a minimal hole is left so as not to obstruct menstrual blood or urine. After the intervention, both legs of the victim are tied together and tied with ropes, ensuring that it is a way of preserving the girl’s virginity and aiding healing.
Among the damaging consequences of genital ablation, acute infections, poor healing, cyst formation, and increased susceptibility to the spread of AIDS can be mentioned. It can even trigger death from hemorrhagic or neurogenic collapse.
But the pain of these girl-women does not end that disastrous day. When they later marry, with a man usually chosen by their guardians or parents, they face acute pain again, when again a midwife must open the hole so that they can consummate the sexual act.
The ablation is not only a violation of the freedom and nature of women, but also has terrible consequences. The infections that victims must face in many cases end their lives and in others they condemn them to even more atrocious and martyrical sufferings such as subsequent extremely painful periods, among other sufferings.
However, possibly the greatest mark left by this bandical act is that which cannot be perceived from the outside, a psychological damage from which they do not recover. It is a mutilation that causes irreparable damage to its victims; in fact, many girls go into a state of shock caused by the intense pain suffered during the intervention, severe psychological trauma and extreme exhaustion as a result of incessant screaming, from which it is very difficult for them to get out.
Every year millions of little girls are subjected to this operation, in the name of a religion, of a barbaric belief and without even having the option of choosing it; This custom is as heinous as the circumcision of Jewish children or the indiscriminate killing of animals and there is nothing to justify it, it needs to be ended once and for all. Let’s save childhood!
