The term "prevalence" is used to describe the proportion of women and girls now living in a country who have undergone FGM at some stage in their lives. This is distinct from the "incidence" of FGM which describes the proportion of women and girls who have undergone the procedure within a particular time period, which could be contemporary or historical. FGM is practiced in some but not all African countries, the Middle East, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as some migrants in Europe, United States and Australia.Berggren, Vanja (2005) Female Genital Mutilation: Studies on primary and repeat female genital cutting. Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. pp. 2–4 It is also seen in some populations of South Asia.Female circumcision fear as fundamentalists roll back women's rights Ben Doherty, The Sydney Morning Herald (January 25, 2012) The highest known prevalence rates are in 30 African countries, in a band that stretches from Senegal in West Africa to Ethiopia on the east coast, as well as from Egypt in the north to Tanzania in the south.
