© 2002 The International Society of Dermatology International Journal of Dermatology 2002, 41, 253–263 253 Abstract Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a traditional cultural practice, but also a form of violence against girls, which affects their lives as adult women. FGM comprises a wide range of procedures: the excision of the prepuce; the partial or total excision of the clitoris (clitoridectomy) and labia; or the stitching and narrowing of the vaginal orifice (infibulation). The number of girls and women who have been subjected to FGM is estimated at around 137 million worldwide and 2 million girls per year are considered at risk. Most females who have undergone mutilation live in 28 African countries. Globalization and international migration have brought an increased presence of circumcised women in Europe and developed countries. Healthcare specialists need to be made aware and trained in the physical, psychosexual, and cultural aspects and effects of FGM and in the response to the needs of genitally mutilated women. Health education programs targeted at immigrant communities should include information on sexuality, FGM, and reproduction. Moreover, healthcare workers should both discourage women from performing FGM on their daughters and receive information on codes of conduct and existing laws. The aim is the total eradication of all forms of FGM. Blackwell Science, Ltd Oxford, UK IJD International Journal of Dermatology 0011-9059 Blackwell Science, 2002 June 2002 ? International Activities Section Female genital mutilation Morrone, Hercogova, and Lotti June 2002 ? The International Activities Section The International Activities Section serves as a forum for opinion exchange for all those dermatologists who, all over the world, do not consent to the construction of artificial boundaries, in our speciality and beyond, established on race, religion, or national origin, and work for giving voice to the most vulnerable populations. Contributions are welcome and should conform to the standard format of Commentary, Report, or Review. Manuscripts will undergo standard editorial procedures. Please submit all material to: Torello M. Lotti, MD, Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Via Alfani, 37, 50121 Florence, Italy, Tel: +39 055 2758662, Fax: +39 055 2758329, E-mail: tlotti@unifi.it June 2002 Stop female genital mutilation: appeal to the international dermatologic community Aldo Morrone, MD, Jana Hercogova, MD, and Torello Lotti, MD From the Servizio di Medicina Preventiva delle Migrazioni, del Turismo e di Dermatologia Tropicale, Istituto San Gallicano – IRCCS, Roma, Italy, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Charles University, 2nd Medical School, Prague, Czech Republic, and Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy Correspondence Aldo Morrone, MD, Istituto San Gallicano, Via di San Gallicano 25/a, 00153 Roma, Italy. E-mail: morrone@ifo.it Introduction Recently, immigrant female patients have come to our clinics for the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infec- tions (i.e. molluscum contagiosum, viral warts, etc.). Some of these patients showed signs of previous genital mutilation. This prompted us to investigate the phenomenon of female genital mutilation (FGM). We soon realized that the problem is of interdisciplinary relevance (dermatovenereologic, gyne- cologic, sociologic, psychologic, etc.) and that the dermato- logic community should be aware of this. The migration of millions of people from southern areas of the world to affluent countries in search of a better future for themselves and their children has produced cultural and