Peer-reviewed article
Female genital mutilation (FGM): Is it still an existing problem in Egypt?
Elbendary RN, Shokry DA, Deeb WS, Morsi EM ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined the prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) and attitudes towards it among women attending a hospital clinic in Egypt. Sixty-two percent of respondents reported having been circumcised themselves, and 32% said they intended to have their daughters circumcised despite Egyptian laws criminalizing the practice. The research found that mothers typically made the decision to circumcise daughters, and type II FGM was most common. The study reveals that legal prohibition and awareness campaigns have not yet ended the practice in Egypt.
Key points
- 62% of women surveyed had been circumcised
- 88% of circumcision decisions were made by the participant's mother
- 86% of cases involved type II FGM
- 32% of women intended to circumcise their own daughters
- Despite criminalization under Egyptian law, the practice persists among a significant portion of the population
Limitations
The study is based on a single clinic in Fayoum in 2018 and may not represent all Egyptian women. The sample size is small (100 women) and the cross-sectional design cannot determine causation or track changes over time.
Abstract
Background Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is one of those traditional practices whose origin can be traced back to antiquity. The worst types of FGM are practiced in Sudan, Egypt and Nigeria. The international movement against FGM gained momentum in the past two decades, and attempts were made to increase public awareness of the procedure and its complications. In addition, laws were passed in Egypt to criminally charge practitioners who perform FGM. Objectives The aim of this study was to describe frequency, prevalence, complications of FGM and awareness of the women at the clinic visit about the latest update (2016) of the Egyptian law that criminalizes it. Methodology This was a cross sectional study of women in their childbearing years (18-45) who attended the Gynecology and Obstetrics outpatient clinics at Fayoum University hospitals between January 1st and December 31st, 2018. After giving their consent, one hundred women attending the clinic received a medical examination and structured interview related to their views and plans regarding FGM of female children. Results Sixty two percent of women participants reported that they had been circumcised. In 88% of cases, the participant's mother was the person who made the decision to have their daughter circumcised. The most common type of circumcision reported was type II, in 86% of cases. Regarding intent to have a female child circumcised, 32% reported that they would have their own daughter circumcised. Conclusion Despite Egyptian law that criminalizes FGM, the know potential for serious complications of the procedure, including death, and the efforts of governmental, non-governmental, and international organizations to combat the use of FGM, one third of the women interviewed still planned to have their daughter circumcised.