August 31, 2010
PR Newswire
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 19 -- Following the Aug. 10, 2010 publication of an Associated Press article, "Female circumcision victims seek out Colo. doctor," by Catherine Tsai, the offices of Clitoraid and of Dr. Marci Bowers MD are asking the Associated Press to rectify an important omission in Tsai's story.
Nowhere in her article did Tsai mention Clitoraid, the parent, non-profit organization Dr. Bowers has been generously volunteering for since 2007. Therefore, the article failed to give a complete picture of the program's international implications. To be clear, Clitoraid (clitoraid.org) offers a humanitarian program to restore damage done by Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in North America, Asia and especially in Africa. Clitoraid is in the final stages of building a hospital in Burkina Faso (West Africa) to treat all FGM victims free of charge. Dr. Bowers will inaugurate the hospital once it is ready.
Contrary to what Tsai wrote, circumcised women seeking repair should contact Clitoraid, not Dr. Bowers, who along with her staff already volunteers enough time during the surgical process. Furthermore, it's important to note that Clitoraid also handles all post-surgical sexual therapy care under the guidance of sex therapist Dr. Betty Dodson.
Dr. Bowers wishes to thank all who have written to her office to make donations following publication of Tsai's article, but she invites everyone to go to www.clitoraid.org to make generous gifts there instead. The donations will go toward the Burkina Faso hospital. It is in that vicinity that the largest number of FGM victims reside and where such surgery represents a two-year salary if the average patient were to pay for it. Clitoraid has been a 501 (c) 3 non profit organization since 2006.
Both Clitoraid and Dr. Bowers' office request that the Associated Press publish this joint statement to properly inform the public about Clitoraid and Dr. Bowers' involvement in this far-reaching, humanitarian endeavor.
Sincerely,
Dr. Brigitte Boisselier, PhD, President of Clitoraid
Dr. Marci Bowers, MD, head Clitoraid Surgeon