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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
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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

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References

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