Health consequences of female genital mutilation/cutting in the Gambia, evidence into action
Open Access
- 3 October 2011
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Reproductive Health
- Vol. 8 (1), 26
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-8-26
Abstract
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful traditional practice with severe health complications, deeply rooted in many Sub-Saharan African countries. In The Gambia, the prevalence of FGM/C is 78.3% in women aged between 15 and 49 years. The objective of this study is to perform a first evaluation of the magnitude of the health consequences of FGM/C in The Gambia. Data were collected on types of FGM/C and health consequences of each type of FGM/C from 871 female patients who consulted for any problem requiring a medical gynaecologic examination and who had undergone FGM/C in The Gambia. The prevalence of patients with different types of FGM/C were: type I, 66.2%; type II, 26.3%; and type III, 7.5%. Complications due to FGM/C were found in 299 of the 871 patients (34.3%). Even type I, the form of FGM/C of least anatomical extent, presented complications in 1 of 5 girls and women examined. This study shows that FGM/C is still practiced in all the six regions of The Gambia, the most common form being type I, followed by type II. All forms of FGM/C, including type I, produce significantly high percentages of complications, especially infections.This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- Strengthening the emergency healthcare system for mothers and children in The GambiaReproductive Health, 2010
- Female Genital Mutilation: perceptions of healthcare professionals and the perspective of the migrant familiesBMC Public Health, 2010
- Sexual function in women with female genital mutilationFertility and Sterility, 2010
- Estimating the obstetric costs of female genital mutilation in six African countriesBulletin of the World Health Organization, 2010
- Perception of primary health professionals about Female Genital Mutilation: from healthcare to intercultural competenceBMC Health Services Research, 2009
- Reliability of self reported form of female genital mutilation and WHO classification: cross sectional studyBMJ, 2006
- Attitudes toward the discontinuation of female genital cutting among men and women in GuineaInternational Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2005
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Memory Problems After Female Genital MutilationAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2005
- Female genital mutilation: an analysis of 522 cases in South-Western NigeriaJournal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2004
- Female genital mutilation in south-east NigeriaInternational Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 2003