Unlike male circumcisions which were practiced for religious purposes, female circumcision is performed by social convention and is practiced as a way to prepare girls for marriage, as well as conforming to social norms of femininity. Female circumcisions are often motivated by what would be considered appropriate female behavior and as a way to promote virginity and cause pain during intercourse to support these beliefs. Much like male circumcision, these social beliefs about sex and purity have influenced these cultures in their belief that circumcision must be performed to be pure and free of