Female Genital Mutilation

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

Aetiology

  • Practised throughout Africa and the Middle East, performed for many reasons
  • Illegal in the UK

Management

  • Psychological and educational input
  • Antenatally, women who have been cut should be assessed and, if necessary, offered deinfibulation before the birth
    • In women with type 3 mutilation, the introitus may be too narrow for childbirth, and the tissues that have sealed together need to be separated (deinfibulation)

Complications

Short term

  • Haemorrhage
  • Urinary retention
  • Genital swelling
  • Infection and sepsis

Long term

  • UTIs
  • Urinary stricture or fistulae
  • Dyspareunia, apareunia and impaired sexual function
  • PTSD
  • Haematocolpos
  • HIV and heptatis B infection
  • Obstetric complications