Doctors disagree with minister on pulling

Feb 11, 2020

Dr Adam Kimala, a surgeon at Kampala Hospital, Kololo, said: “Women elongating their labia has no adverse health implications.

CULTURE HEALTH

KAMPALA - Doctors have finally reacted to gender state minister Peace Mutuzo's statement about the culture of elongating the labia, saying the practice is totally harmless.

Dr Adam Kimala, a surgeon at Kampala Hospital, Kololo, said: "Women elongating their labia has no adverse health implications. We carried out research about it and came to a conclusion that it poses no harm at all."

He added: "This is a women's secret because it does not involve cutting or even piercing any body part. So, it is not harmful at all. There are certain local herbs they use to soften the body before pulling the labia."

According to Kimala, in Buganda's culture, if one does not have the elongated labia, "even your partner doesn't respect you, you are seen as an incomplete woman".

"Elongated labia stimulate the man's libido and keep the marriage burning," the medic said.

Dr Sam Kalibbala, a doctor in Mengo, added: "The practice is harmless, instead it lifts their libido and they enjoy sex more."

Kalibbala added: "Our dear minister Mutuuzo rushed to issue that statement. She mixed up Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) with elongating the labia yet the two are totally different and have no connection whatsoever."

He said labia elongation was not as painful as FGM. "As doctors, we could have already seen the danger and warned about it. Let the minister leave people's culture."