Prevalence, consequences of female genital mutilation among asylum seekers in Ile-de-France and socio-demographic characteristics

Abstract

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an intervention on the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. In France, asylum is possible for girls at risk of FGM in their country of origin. The procedure includes a forensic examination of the child. To describe the prevalence of FGM and the sociodemographic characteristics of girls and their mothers examined at the Department of Forensic Medicine of Paris. Between 2018 and 2021, 2422 family interviews were conducted. The mothers were mainly from Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, and Guinea Conakry. A FGM was found in 84.4% of the 1838 women examined, mostly of type IIb. The mothers reported immediate complications (21.2%: hemorrhage, pain) and long-term complications (31.8%: sexual disorders, obstetrical complications) due to these FGM. The families often included several children, and 3307 girls were examined. They were mostly born in France (72.0%). An FGM was identified in 61 of these girls (1.8%, mostly type IIb); it was already known by the family in half of the cases. Three of these girls were born in Europe. FGM is a public health problem on a global scale, but also in France due to migratory pathways. This descriptive study carried out an initial medical assessment of FSM in female asylum seekers examined at the Department of Forensic Medicine of Paris, and difficulties in the diagnosis of FSM. Other studies are useful to corroborate and compare our results.