Peer-reviewed article

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices for Care of Women and Girls With FGM/C - A Survey of Health Workers at Swiss University Hospitals.

Christina X Marea, Yara Bazzoun, Nicole Warren, Nancy Perrin, Jasmine Abdulcadir · 28 Apr 2026

Abstract

There are approximately 24,600 women and girls with FGM/C currently living in Switzerland. Women and girls with FGM/C have health care needs related to FGM/C that Swiss health workers may not have adequate knowledge to address, or they may experience attitudes toward FGM/C and/or communities which practice FGM/C that result in poor experiences of care. Further, there are no current studies that assess Swiss health worker clinical practice in the care of this group. The aim of this study was to survey a national sample of Swiss health workers using a conceptual framework and valid measures of health worker knowledge, attitudes, and practices for care of women and girls with FGM/C. We conducted a cross-sectional web-based survey of multidisciplinary health workers including physicians, nurses, and midwives employed at the five Swiss University hospitals. 467 health workers completed the full survey. General knowledge of FGM/C and its associated health complications was high; however, knowledge of management of those complications was low. Health worker attitudes toward FGM/C overwhelmingly opposed the practice but demonstrated neutral or ambivalent attitudes toward ethical challenges and the provision of FGM/C-related care. There is a clinically important gap between health worker knowledge and practice with deficits in interpreter use, mental health screening and referral, and clinical documentation. This study is the first national assessment of health care provider knowledge, attitudes, and practices for FGM/C-related care in Switzerland. There are significant opportunities to improve health worker knowledge for FGM/C care, promote attitude and values clarification, and ensure that clinical practice is aligned with evidence-based practices for high quality FGM/C care. Competency-based strategies for health worker education can improve health care quality and outcomes for women and girls with FGM/C.