Girls in Cameroon Have Breasts 'Ironed'

Moms believe burns will keep men away
By Emily Rauhala,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 23, 2010 7:10 AM CDT
Updated Jul 25, 2010 11:39 AM CDT

Breast ironing. Yes, it's as painful as it sounds. But, according to a new Current documentary, as many one in four girls in Cameroon have had their breast buds burned with hot stones. Ironically, the painful wounds are meant to protect them; mothers believe the scars will keep men at bay, lowering the risk of sexual assault, sexually transmitted infections, and teen pregnancy, notes Salon.



But the practice hurts girls. When children—some as young as 9—have hot coals pressed to their skin, they are left with dangerous wounds and lifelong scarring. "How sad is it that many places in the world blame a woman’s sexuality for a man’s behavior, rather than the men themselves?" writes Jessica Wakeman for The Frisky. Sad, yes. And infuriating, too. Click here for more on the awful practice.
(More violence against women stories.)

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