How to deal with female circumcision as a health issue in the Nordic countries

Abstract

Roughly 100 000 immigrants in the Nordic countries originate from areas in Africa where the tradition of FGC is still well known. A majority of this immigrant group consists of Somali women and men (approximately 25 000 in Sweden 16 000 in Denmark 8000 in Norway and 7000 in Finland less than 10 in Iceland; national statistics figures). FGC in the Nordic countries became an issue in the 1980s. The civil war in Somalia caused many Somalis to leave their country in the early 1990s. The arrival of large groups of Somali families forced the Nordic societies to take a stand on the health issue of FGC. Traditionally Somali girls are infibulated which involves excision of the clitoris labia minora and stitching of the vaginal opening. Health providers and social professionals in the Nordic countries are therefore obliged to know how to handle this issue. The primary motives for FGC in Somalia are that the practice is experienced as a religious duty and a prerequisite of marriage. Based on clinical experience the most common reaction to FGC in a Western country is one of disgust and rejection. However in countries where FGC is practiced it is looked upon as the "normal" state sometimes expressed in line with the following citations: "being smooth in the genital area without flaps is a beauty ideal" "if the labia minora are not cut they will continue to grow" "the clitoris and the labia minora have to be concealed in order to reduce sexual desire to reduce the risk of promiscuity promote fertility and make childbirth easier or the girl will not become a woman" "circumcision will ensure that the woman is a virgin as she gets married." These examples of motives do not necessarily coexist in the same ethnic groups. Thus FGC has deep and complex social and cultural roots that we cannot ignore when discussing how to best deal with FGC as a health issue in the Nordic countries. (excerpt)