Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and the integrity of girls and women.
The practice is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers, who often play other central roles in communities, such as attending childbirths. In many settings, health care providers perform FGM due to the belief that the procedure is safer when medicalized.
WHO strongly urges health care providers NOT to perform FGM.
Female genital mutilation is classified into 4 major types.
Type 1: this is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans, and/or the prepuce/ clitoral hood.
Type 2: this is the partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and the labia minora, with or without removal of the labia majora.
Type 3: Also known as infibulation, this is the narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the labia minora, or labia majora, sometimes through stitching, with or without removal of the clitoral prepuce/clitoral hood and glans.
Type 4: This includes all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.
Immediate complications can include:
severe pain
excessive bleeding (hemorrhage)
genital tissue swelling
fever
infections e.g., tetanus
urinary problems
wound healing problems
injury to surrounding genital tissue
shock
death.
Long-term complications can include:
urinary problems (painful urination, urinary tract infections);
vaginal problems (discharge, itching, bacterial vaginosis and other infections);
menstrual problems (painful menstruations, difficulty in passing menstrual blood, etc.);
scar tissue and keloid;
sexual problems (pain during intercourse, decreased satisfaction, etc.);
increased risk of childbirth complications (difficult delivery, excessive bleeding, cesarean section, need to resuscitate the baby, etc.) and newborn deaths;
need for later surgeries: for example, the sealing or narrowing of the vaginal opening (Type 3) may lead to the practice of cutting open the sealed vagina later to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth (deinfibulation). Sometimes genital tissue is stitched again several times, including after childbirth, hence the woman goes through repeated opening and closing procedures, further increasing both immediate and long-term risks;
psychological problems (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, etc.)
Further and more analytical information about FGM will be provided in an upcoming article.
To promote the elimination of female genital mutilation, coordinated and systematic efforts are needed, and they must engage whole communities and focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education and attention to the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences. The United Nations, alongside UNICEF, strives for its full eradication by 2030, following the spirit of Sustainable Development Goal 5. This International Day was established in order to remind everyone of the unreasonable cruelty, without any medical excuse, that FGM represents. We, also, remind you to have zero tolerance towards it.
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Reference List:
International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, Organization of United Nations
Female genital mutilation, World Health Organization
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