Peer-reviewed article
Commentary: What should referral pathways have to improve healthcare experiences of women with female genital mutilation in Australia?
Njue C, Ameyaw EK, Ahinkorah BO, Seidu AA, Kimani S ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This commentary examines how healthcare professionals in Australia manage women with female genital mutilation (FGM) and identifies gaps in referral pathways. Clinicians encounter serious FGM-related complications including urinary problems, but lack clear systems to refer patients to appropriate services. The document calls for development of formal referral pathways and better training for healthcare providers to improve care for affected women.
Key points
- Healthcare professionals reported encountering severe FGM complications including ruptured bladder and total urinary incontinence
- Midwives and paediatricians lack formal referral pathways for FGM cases and use discretion to refer to social work, obstetrics, child protection, psychology, or surgery
- The continuum of care is characterised by inadequate and unclear referral pathways
- Recommendations include capacity building for health providers, community involvement, and provision of clinical management tools and referral algorithms
- Electronic patient records with drop-down menus for referral sites are proposed as critical infrastructure
Limitations
This is a commentary based on examination of evidence rather than original research, so it does not provide empirical data on outcomes or the prevalence of FGM-related complications in Australia. The document does not evaluate whether implemented referral pathways improve health outcomes.
Abstract
Background We examined the evidence derived from healthcare professionals' interfacing with women with female genital mutilation (FGM) to comprehend the referral pathways available to these women in Australia. Main body Clinicians encountered FGM-related complications that included ruptured bladder and total urinary incontinence. Midwives and paediatricians indicated a lack of referral pathways for FGM, but used their discretion to refer such cases to social work departments, obstetric/gynaecological units, child protection service providers, psychological counsellors and surgeons. The continuum of care for women with FGM is characterised by inadequate and lack of clear referral pathways. This underscores the need to develop and strengthen referral pathways in response to physical, birthing and psychological complications of women with FGM to improve their care experiences in Australia. Short conclusion Capacity building initiatives on FGM-prevention and care for trainees and practising health providers and community involvement in high burden areas/populations should be implemented to promote uptake and utilization of the referral services. Provision of infrastructural support, including clinical management tools, job aids, posters, referral algorithms and electronic patient records with "drop-down menus" for referral sites for health complications of FGM to reinforce the providers' efforts are critical.