Addu Abdala Dubba used to perform the circumcisions." The lone primary hospital in Asaita, the former capital of Afar regional state, struggles to look after the women who have complications from FGM, especially during childbirth. Saleh Yusuf Imam, the medical director, said the hospitals counseling service has had some success in raising awareness.’ Deep in Ethiopia's desert region of Afar, about nine in 10 women and girls undergo female genital mutilation, many before their first birthday."I was unable to hold my urine for long," she said. She has faced a lifetime of pain.After women who face difficulty with penetrative sex receive pain-free incisions in their vagina and post-treatment counseling, "we hear most of them vow to not let a single woman they know endure female genital mutilation ever again," he said. Later when my menstruation began, because the opening was too tiny, the pain worsened even more.Dr."She once thought the job gave her a sense of purpose.There is still a long way to go in changing peoples attitudes, he added."Whenever I find a parent that still insists on practicing female genital mutilation, I try to convince them otherwise," she said.Kedija, the 25-year-old, said she is determined to stop another generation of girls from suffering like she did.‘Later when my menstruation began, because the opening was too tiny, the pain worsened even more.

But I carefully sanitized it after each circumcision by heating it in a fire or dipping it in hot water to avoid infection.Now she is a midwife and spreads the word about the dangers of FGM. Nearly 200 million around the world live with its effects, the United Nations says."But when my efforts are not enough to change their minds, then I always report them to local health facilities so that they can intervene.Deep in Ethiopias desert region of Afar, about nine in 10 women and girls undergo female genital mutilation, many before their first birthday.Ethiopias government has declared FGM illegal. And after I got married it was painful to have sexual intercourse with my husband. She thought it helped women preserve their virginity and remain faithful in marriage - seen as essential to a familys honor."There were even times when I performed consecutive cuttings in one day with this one blade," she said.But after attending trainings by the government and religious leaders, "I now understand this practice is wrong and it can destroy a childs future," she said. She sharpened a small blade against a steel rod to demonstrate how she prepared for the task."I isolated myself from socializing because of that."Three childbirths later, she was diagnosed with near-fatal renal complications. A lack of funds has forced the hospital to operate with reduced staff for most of the past fiscal year. Threaded Rod Astm Wholesale The 25-year-old Kedija had her external genitalia removed and her vagina sewn up when she was just seven days old.Campaigners on Tuesday marked the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM as they seek to end the practice