Hindrance of FGM elimination: A case reviewing national policy intervention in Kassena-Nankana West and Pusiga districts in the Upper East Region of Ghana

The limited effectiveness of legislation against female genital mutilation and the role of community beliefs in Upper East Region, Ghana

Female genital mutilation: Survey of paediatricians’ knowledge, attitudes and practice

AimsHealthcare professionals have a mandatory duty to report to the police any cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) in girls under 18 that they come across in their work. Since...

A complicated case of female genital mutilation (FGM) type 2b done in late-pregnancy is presented and the interplay of Yoruba and Kwale culture, in this case, is discussed. A Yoruba who grew up among Kwales/Urhobos had FGM at 38 weeks and 4 days gestation (to assure vaginal delivery) and presented with vulvar hematoma, septicemia, obstructed labor, and a distressed fetus. 5 days after FGM procedure, she had an emergency cesarean section (EmCS), repair of FGM site and baby was admitted in special care. There was the obvious synergy of the Yoruba culture of FGM in infancy and Kwale/Urhobo culture of FGM in pregnancy. The patient and her fetus/baby almost became mortalities but for prompt intervention. The role of sociocultural factors in the practice of FGM is recommended to be further investigated as FGM even in educated women and at the dangerous stage of term pregnancy is still prevalent.

Background/introduction Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is illegal in the UK. When identified, it is mandatory to record FGM in a patient’s health care record and to report under 18s to the police. Aim(s)/objectives To investigate characteristics and management of patients with FGM attending an inner city sexual health service. Methods Retrospective case note review of patients recorded as having had FGM between February 2014 and November 2015. Results 65 patients were identified; 52 attended the walk-in GUM clinic and 13 attended the HIV clinic. Median age was 33 years (range 17–54 years). Common countries of origin were Sierra Leone, Somalia and Nigeria in 38%, 20% and 12%, respectively. Most FGM took place in childhood (aged 0–4 years in 17%, aged 5–10 years in 37%, aged 10–15 years in 11%). FGM was self-reported in 13 (20%) and identified during examination in 52 (80%) patients. Type 1 and 2 FGM were the most common forms in 21 (32%) and 29 (45%), respectively. Of 52 cases presenting to GUM, 28 (54%) were first attendances. Of the remaining, 15/24 (63%) cases of FGM had not been identified on previous visits despite a previous documented examination in 11/15 (73%). One patient was under 18 at presentation and 18 (28%) had daughters or sisters aged Discussion/conclusion FGM is common yet frequently missed by health care professionals even during examination. Training in the recognition and management of FGM is essential for staff working in Sexual Health.

PurposeSDG 5.3 targets include eliminating harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Limited information is available about levels of investment needed and realistic estimates of potential incidence change. In this work, we estimate the cost and impact of FGM programs in 31 high burden countries.MethodsThis analysis combines program data, secondary data analysis, and population-level costing methods to estimate cost and impact of high and moderate scaleup of FGM programs between 2020 and 2030. Cost per person or community reached was multiplied by populations to estimate costs, and regression analysis was used to estimate new incidence rates, which were applied to populations to estimate cases averted.ResultsReaching the high-coverage targets for 31 countries by 2030 would require an investment of US$ 3.3 billion. This scenario would avert more than 24 million cases of FGM, at an average cost of US$ 134 per case averted. A moderate-coverage scenario would cost US$ 1.6 billion and avert more than 12 million cases of FGM. However, average cost per case averted hides substantial variation based on country dynamics. The most cost-effective investment would be in countries with limited historic change in FGM incidence, with the average cost per case averted between US$ 3 and US$ 90. The next most effective would be those with high approval for FGM, but a preexisting trend downward, where cost per case averted is estimated at around US$ 240.InterpretationThis analysis shows that although data on FGM is limited, we can draw useful findings from population-level surveys and program data to guide resource mobilization and program planning.

ObjectivesDescribe cases of female genital mutilation (FGM) presenting to consultant paediatricians and sexual assault referral centres (SARCs), including demographics, medical symptoms, examination findings and outcome.DesignThe well-established epidemiological surveillance study performed...

Nigeria accounts for 25% of cases of Female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide, with increased incidence of cervical cancer. This study was aimed at evaluating the relationship between FGM and HPV in a locality with high prevalence of FGM. Papanicolaou test, DNA hybridization using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and flow-through hybridization was done to determine the genotypic variants of the HPV. Physical examination and questionnaires were also used to ascertain presence of FGM. FGM was found among 98(49%) subjects, while 23(11.5%) had one or more genotype of HPV. Majority of the cases of HPV (78.3%) occurred in FGM subjects. Seventeen Genotypes of HPV were found among subjects with FGM consisting of 11 high risk (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 52, 56, 73, 81, 82) and 6 low risk (43, 44, 6, 26, 84, 70). A correlation (p value = 0.0052 at 95% CI) was found between FGM and HPV prevalence with a positive result for post hoc analysis. Results show the first reported case of quintuple HPV infection in a single subject in Nigeria. FGM needs to be halted as it has no known health benefit yet may increase the risk for cervical cancer.

Human rights during the COVID-19 pandemic: the issue of female genital mutilations

Girls are one-third less likely to be subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) today than 30 years ago. However, rapid population growth in some of the world’s poorest countries, where FGM persists, threatens to roll back progress. In 2020 alone, an estimated 4.1 million girls were at risk of being subjected to FGM. Without concerted and accelerated actions to end the practice, an estimated 68 million additional girls will have been subjected to FGM by 2030. Despite intensified global research efforts to inform strategies to address FGM, there has been little synergy between evidence generation and the implementation of programs and policies designed to end the practice. As the final decade of acceleration toward zero new cases of FGM by 2030 begins, increasing the rigor of research for programming, policy development, and resource allocation is critical. This report synthesized and assessed the quality and strength of existing evidence on FGM interventions reported between 2008 and 2020. Study findings will contribute to strengthening the synergy between evidence generation and FGM programs and inform a global research agenda for FGM.

Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is any process that injures female genitals for non-medical reasons and is a violation of women’s human rights. An important number of women from countries where FGM is performed are arriving to Western countries. Health professionals are important for detecting cases of FGM. No surveys to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices on FGM among healthcare professionals has been conducted in Castilla la Mancha (Spain) until now. Methods: The main goal of the study is assessing knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of healthcare professionals in relation to FGM. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted based on self-administered online surveys to nurses, midwives, family doctors, pediatricians, obstetrics and gynecologists. Results: In total, 1168 professionals answered the surveys. Just 13.9% indicated that they had received training in FGM, however just 10.7% correctly identified the three types of FGM, 10.7% the countries where it is usually practiced, 33.9% knew the legislation in Spain and only 4.4% found a case of FGM during their professional practice. Regarding the knowledge about protocols, 8.64% of the sample indicated to know one of them. Conclusion: The present study demonstrate that it is necessary to improve the training and awareness of healthcare professionals related to FGM in Castilla la Mancha.

Performing female genital mutilation (FGM) is prohibited within the UK by the FGM Act of 2003. A mandatory reporting duty for FGM requires regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales to report known cases of FGM in under 18-year-olds to the police. An application to the court for an FGM protection order (FGMPO) can be made to keep individual women and girls safe from FGM. This paper reveals the significant disconnect between the number of FGMPO applications and known recorded cases of FGM. The introduction of FGMPOs requires critical exploration as there is insufficient evidence to show that FGMPOs are effective in protecting women and girls from FGM. It is therefore unclear what impact, if any, FGMPOs are having upon the protection of women and girls at risk of FGM. The barriers to the implementation of FGMPOs and possible solutions are discussed.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) affects over 200 million girls and women. Its health complications include acute and potentially lifelong urogenital, reproductive, physical, mental health complications with estimated health treatment costs...

ObjectivesTo discover if healthcare professionals working within an ED are able to make a diagnosis of female genital mutilation (FGM) in those patients who have previously undergone the procedure and...

This article is about how primary care health professionals can approach the problem of female genital mutilation (FGM) when it is encountered in everyday general practice. An introduction to FGM is given, in order to provide an overview that creates understanding and raises awareness. It is written through my perspective, as someone from an FGM-practicing community from the horn of Africa. I had the good fortune to be born into a family that did not practice FGM, but many millions were not so lucky and are living with its aftermath. It is often said that ‘prevention is better than cure’ and that cannot be more pertinent than in the case of FGM. As primary care health professionals, we find ourselves well-positioned to not only prevent future cases of FGM, but also provide support and assistance to those living with the trail of destruction it leaves behind.