One of the saddest parts of the practice of FGM is the fact that it is often performed by people with no medical background whatsoever. Commonly performed by neighbors, family members, or perhaps even those specially deemed with the task, the mutilation is bloody and painful. The tools used usually include broken glass, scissors, razors, knives, tin lids, clamps, pliars, and even sharp stones (Circumcision). Keep in mind the fact that none of these tools are sterilized, and no anti-biotics or anesthesia is given to the "patient.".
Just as bad as the fact that the practice is often performed by untrained people, it's also been performed by doctors for a fee. This means that not only has the "patient" been subjected to a terrible life because of the mutilation, but by paying for it to be done, could clearly show just how willing the family is to see the procedure performed on young girls.
FGM is usually performed in the houses of neighbors or in the family's home itself. In some cultures, only one girl at a time would be circumsized, while in others the practice is performed with large groups of girls (What is Female Genital Mutilation). Often family members wouldn't even tell the children what would happen to them. Adults will grab the child and pin her down until the procedure is performed by either another female, or in some cases, a male.
Nearly thirty countries worldwide allow FGM; in fact, many of them openly encourage it to be done. Chad, Ethiopia, Egypt, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, and Zaire are just a few of these countries that allow such barbaric practices (Female Genital Mutilation Around the World).
There are no figures to show how common female genital mutilation is in Asian countries, but the practice has been reported in Muslim countries such as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. The practice has even been reported in industrialized nations such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK, and even the United States of America.
