Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T20:10:08.087Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 11 - Female Genital Mutilation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2023

By
Juliet Albert
Edited by
Swati Jha  and
Priya Madhuvrata
Swati Jha
Affiliation:
Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Priya Madhuvrata
Affiliation:
Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Get access

Summary

This chapter provides an overview of female genital mutilation (FGM) and how it affects maternity care. FGM is when the female genitals are deliberately cut or injured without medical reason. It is deeply entrenched in gender inequality and is recognised as a human rights’ violation. An estimated 200 million women and girls worldwide live with the physical and psychological consequences of FGM. Four types are classified by the World Health Organization. Careful antenatal assessment should include diagnosis of FGM type, birth plan and safeguarding assessment. Women with FGM are more likely to have adverse obstetric outcomes than women without FGM. Women with Type 3 FGM may require a procedure called deinfibulation to open the anterior scar to facilitate childbirth. This can be carried out during the antenatal or intrapartum period. Many countries have made FGM illegal but the practice still persists across the world.

Keywords

female genital mutilationfemale genital cuttingfemale circumcisionFGMinfibulationdeinfibulationclitoridectomysafeguarding
Type
Chapter
Information
Gynaecology for the Obstetrician , pp. 109 - 122
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

WHO. Female Genital Mutilation. Key Facts. [Internet]. (2021), 1–5. www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilationGoogle Scholar
WHO. Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation: An Interagency Statement UNAIDS, UNDP, UNECA, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNHCHR, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIFEM, WHO. (2008). http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43839/9789241596442_eng.pdf.;jsessionid=996E4B151551E5B1C8D31AFC670234BE?sequence=1Google Scholar
United Nations. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. (2015). https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/21252030Google Scholar
Elchalal, U., Ben-Ami, B., Gillis, R. and Brzezinski, A.. Ritualistic female genital mutilation. Obstetrical & Gynecologial Survey, 52 (1997), 643–51.Google Scholar
Gordon, H.. Female genital mutilation. In Sultan, A. H., Thakar, R. and Fenner, D. E., eds., Perineal and Anal Sphincter Trauma. (London: Springer, 2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84628-503-5_7Google Scholar
United Nations Children’s Fund. Female Genital Mutilation: A New Generation Calls for Ending an Old Practice. (New York: UNICEF, 2020).Google Scholar
Albert, J. and Wells, M.. The Acton Model: Support for women with female genital mutilation. British Journal of Midwifery [Internet], 28 (2020), 697–708. www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/10.12968/bjom.2020.28.10.697CrossRefGoogle Scholar
UNICEF. Female Genital Mutilation [Internet]. (2021). https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-protection/female-genital-mutilation/Google Scholar
UNICEF. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Global Concern [Internet]. (2016). www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilationGoogle Scholar
Population Council. Evidence to End FGM/C: Research to Help Girls and Women Thrive [Internet]. (2020). file:///C:/Users/44773/Documents/research articles/2020RH_FGMC_ReflectionsFiveYears.pdfGoogle Scholar
WHO. Care of Women and Girls Living with Female Genital Mutilation: A Clinical Handbook. [Internet]. (2018). file:///C:/Users/44773/Downloads/9789241513913-eng.pdfGoogle Scholar
Macfarlane, A. J. and Dorkenoo, E.. Estimating the numbers of women and girls with female genital mutilation in England and Wales. Journal of Epidemiology an Community Health [Internet], 69 (2015). https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/12382Google Scholar
Karlsen, S., Howard, J., Carver, N., Mogilnicka, M. and Pantazis, C.. Available evidence suggests that prevalence and risk of female genital cutting/mutilation in the UK is much lower than widely presumed – policies based on exaggerated estimates are harmful to girls and women from affected communities. International Journal of Impotence Research [Internet], (2022). www.nature.com/articles/s41443-021-00526-4Google Scholar
Abdulcadir, J., Catania, L., Hindin, M. J., et al. Female genital mutilation: A visual reference and learning tool for health care professionals. Obstetrics & Gynecology [Internet], 128 (2016), 958–63. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27741194Google Scholar
Abdulcadir, J., Marras, S., Catania, L., Abdulcadir, O. and Petignat, P.. Defibulation: A visual reference and learning tool. Journal of Sexual Medicine [Internet], 15 (2018), 601–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2018.01.010Google Scholar
Abdulcadir, J., Rodriguez, M. and Say, L.. Research gaps in the care of women with female genital mutilation: An analysis. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology [Internet], 122 (2015), 294–303. http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/1471-0528.13217Google Scholar
Berg, R. C., Taraldsen, S., Said, M. A., Sørbye, I. K. and Vangen, S.. Reasons for and experiences with surgical interventions for female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C): A systematic review. Journal of Sexual Medicine [Internet], 14 (2017), 977–90. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1743609517312663Google ScholarPubMed
GOV.UK. Multi-Agency Statutory Guidance on Female Genital Mutilation [Internet]. (2016). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/800306/6-1914-HO-Multi_Agency_Statutory_Guidance.pdfGoogle Scholar
WHO. WHO Guidelines on the Management of Health Complications From Female Genital Mutilation [Internet]. (2016). www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/management-health-complications-fgm/en/Google Scholar
Ormrod, J.. The experience of NHS care for women living with female genital mutilation. British Journal of Nursing, 28 (2019), 628–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watson, H., Harrop, D., Walton, E., Young, A. and Soltani, H.. A systematic review of ethnic minority women’s experiences of perinatal mental health conditions and services in Europe. PLoS One [Internet], 14 (2019), e0210587. https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210587Google Scholar
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Female Genital Mutilation and its Management. RCOG Green-top Guideline No. 53 [Internet]. (2015). www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/guidelines/gtg-53-fgm.pdfGoogle Scholar
Gordon, H.. Comerasamy, H. and Morris, N. H.. Female genital mutilation: Experience in a West London clinic. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 27 (2007),416–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arowojolu, O., Okunlola, M. A., Adekunle, A. O. and Ilesanmi, A.O.. Three decades of acquired gynaetresia in Ibadan: Clinical presentation and management. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Lahore) [Internet], 21 (2001), 375–8. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01443610120059923Google ScholarPubMed
Tahzib, F.. Epidemiological determinants of vesicovaginal fistulas. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 90 (1983), 387–91.Google Scholar
Banks, E., Meirik, O., Farley, T., Akande, O. and Bathija, H. AM.. Female genital mutilation and obstetric outcome: WHO collaborative prospective study in six African countries. Lancet [Internet], 367 (2006), 1835–41. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0140673606688053Google ScholarPubMed
Department of Health. FGM Safeguarding and Risk Assessment: Quick Guide for Health Professionals. [Internet]. (2017). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/585083/FGM_safeguarding_and_risk_assessment.pdfGoogle Scholar
NHS Digital. Female Genital Mutilation Datasets [Internet]. (2020). https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/clinical-audits-and-registries/female-genital-mutilation-datasetsGoogle Scholar
Department of Health. Female Genital Mutilation Risk and Safeguarding; Guidance for Professionals. (FGM Prevention Programme, London, 2016), available at Female Genital Mutilation Risk and Safeguarding (publishing.service.gov.uk).Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×