Peer-reviewed article
The need for and acceptability of a curriculum to train nursing and medical students in the sexual healthcare of clients with female genital mutilation/cutting in Tanzania.
Mwakawanga DL, Massae AF, Kohli N, Lukumay GG, Rohloff CT et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study surveyed 408 medical and nursing students in Tanzania to understand whether they needed training in sexual healthcare for girls and women who have experienced female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). Almost half reported little or no previous training in this area. Over 82% of students found such training acceptable and expressed interest in developing better skills to support the sexual and psychological health of affected women and girls.
Key points
- 47% of medical and nursing students reported having little to no training in sexual healthcare for women with FGM/C
- 82.4% of participants found training in this area to be acceptable
- Students expressed desire to improve competencies to meet sexual and psychological health needs of women with FGM/C
- A culturally sensitive curriculum with practical sessions using simulated patients was considered most beneficial
- Healthcare professionals are currently inadequately trained to prevent and manage FGM/C-related complications
Limitations
This study assessed student interest and perceived need for training but did not evaluate whether an actual curriculum was developed or implemented, nor did it measure whether such training would improve health outcomes for girls and women with FGM/C. The findings reflect opinions and self-reported training levels rather than demonstrated competency or practice change.
Abstract
Background Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is tied to one of the most conservative cultures in the Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 200 million girls and women in 30 African, Asian and the middle Eastern countries have undergone FGM/C. However, healthcare professionals are not adequately trained to prevent and manage FGM/C-related complications including sexual health problems. This study aimed to assess the need and acceptability of a curriculum to train nursing and medical students in the sexual healthcare of clients with FGM/C in Tanzania. Methods We used a descriptive and cross sectional study design to collect and analyse information from 271 medical and 137 nursing students in Tanzania. A Qualtrics online survey was used to obtain quantitative data on training interest, previous training received, and the curriculum delivery method. Open-ended questions were used to explore their insights on significance to obtain the necessary competencies to treat and prevent FGM/C. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data while qualitative data were analyzed using a thematic approach. Results Almost half of the participants reported they had little to no training in sexual healthcare for women with FGM/C (47%). In all, 82.4% reported the training to be acceptable. Following thematic analysis of open-ended questions, participants expressed a desire to improve their competencies to meet the current and future sexual and psychological health needs of women and girls who have undergone FGM/C. Conclusion It is a necessary and acceptable to develop a curriculum to train healthcare students to diagnose, treat and prevent sexual health complications related to FGM/C. In our study, designing a culturally sensitive curriculum and its delivery method, that includes practical sessions with simulated patients, was considered the most beneficial and favorable.