Health professionals need to learn more about female genital mutilation if they want to encourage victims to come foward, according to Dr Mwenya Chimba, violence against women director at Cardiff-based charity Bawso
FEMALE genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting, is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as “all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons”.
There are different types of FGM but it always involves removal of all or part of the external genitalia, and is commonly performed in childhood, often in unhygienic conditions with no anaesthetic.
It is an act of cruelty which causes significant harm both in the long and short term. FGM may cause severe pain, bleeding and infection, painful periods, and urinary infections.
For some, it can have fatal consequences as highlighted by the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health in 2007, which reported that the late identification of FGM led to an unnecessary caesarean sections and may have directly contributed to a woman’s death.
Many of the problems associated with female genital mutilation can be treated or prevented by a minor surgical procedure known as deinfibulation, or reversal, in which scar tissue is opened up to restore the normal vaginal opening. This procedure can usually be performed under local anesthetic.
In Wales, if a woman wants FGM to be reversed, they need to be referred to general gynaecological services. However, outside Wales, there are walk-in Well Women Clinics which offer confidential information, treatment and support for FGM-related issues.
FGM contravenes the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and is illegal in the UK. A person convicted of an offence under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 is liable to imprisonment for up to 14 years. It is also an offence to arrange, procure, aid or abet FGM and upon indictment can carry a five-year custodial sentence. It is also now illegal to take a child out of the UK for the purpose of FGM.
There are many reasons given for why it is done. They can include a wish to protect family honour, to preserve tradition, a rite of passage, ensuring a woman’s chastity and preparation for marriage.
Our research has shown that FGM still takes place within certain communities in Wales and there is limited awareness about its impact.
We know that the trauma, stigma, myth and prejudice associated with it prevent access to treatment and care services.
While FGM is often considered by practising communities as an act of love, rather than cruelty, we must remember that it causes significant harm and constitutes physical and emotional abuse to children. An All Wales Protocol on FGM was published in 2011 and stated that health visitors, midwives and other health professionals are in a good position to reinforce information about the health consequences and the law.
But knowledge of FGM among health professionals is patchy across Wales. We know of some women who have reported that when they have been examined by a nurse or midwife, it is clear from the look of sheer horror on their faces that they knew nothing about FGM. This is a truly shocking experience for both the woman and the health professional. We need to do more to make everyone aware of FGM and how they can help women and girls affected. The Bawso FGM project has published a free Educational Booklet for anyone working with families to help women and girls affected by or at risk of FGM.
Contact Bawso’s 24/7 helpline on 0800 731 8147 for confidential information and support or email firstname.lastname@example.org or visit www.bawso.org.uk Bawso supports people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds who are affected by domestic and other abuse, including female genital mutilation, forced marriage, human trafficking and prostitution