Definition
For women who were circumcised, FCTYPE indicates the type of genital cutting carried out as circumcision (i.e., clitoridectomy, excision, infibulation, other).
The World Health Organization defines the types of female genital cutting/circumcision as follows [URL omitted from DDI.]:
1. Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris (the erectile part of the female genitals) and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris).
2. Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (the labia are 'the lips' that surround the vagina).
3. Infibulation: narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner, or outer, labia, with or without removal of the clitoris.
4. Other: all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g., pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.